Prato’s Artisans Go Back to School!

From 20 October, Prato’s artisans will be in the pastry and cooking classes of the Francesco Datini hotel management school. Matteo Panconi, baker, kicks off the third year of the project Artisans in the classroom: teach me a trade, promoted by Biscottificio Mattei. It is a series of workshops dedicated to the art of baking, where the artisans of the Prato area are the protagonists, along with their specialities. Bread, pasta, aniseed cantucci and Prato almond biscuits, fresh pastry and, this year, gelato too!

Where does the culinary history of our city begin?
Why has Prato bread been known since the 1300s?
Why are Prato biscuits called cantucci and cantuccini?
How many artisan pastry shops are there today in the Prato area?

The project was born from the wish to tell the story of Prato’s baking tradition and to celebrate it, but above all to let the Datini students “experience” the recipes tied to that story.

Prato bread, with the bakers Matteo Panconi, Federico Santini, Alessio Biagini and Sergio Guasti. Fresh pasta, with Ferraboschi, Mariotti, Olmi and Meoni.
Aniseed cantucci and Prato biscuits, with Barzagli.
Fresh pastry, with Peruzzi, Sacchetti, Zarini and Ciolini.
Gelato, with Francesco Magazzini.
These are only some of the artisans who will be in the classrooms alongside the subject teachers.

Many others will welcome the students into their own workshops for hands-on experience “in the field”. The project involves the 3rd, 4th and 5th year pastry classes and the 3rd year cooking classes. It ends in spring with an event/dinner where the students are put to the test.

Biscottificio Mattei will also take part with its specialities: Mauro and I will be in the 3rd year cooking and pastry classes, preparing aniseed cantucci and Prato Biscuits. The two recipes are completely different. Aniseed cantucci are made starting from bread dough, while Prato biscuits are made with eggs, flour, sugar, almonds and pine nuts. Although Prato biscuits are known as cantuccini all over the world, in Prato we like to tell the origin of the story and explain why.

At the Museum-shop in Florence, from 30 September, Antonio Mattei himself will be there to make them and tell you about the two recipes. “Would you like to know the secret of cantuccini? But what would cantuccini be? Do you mean aniseed cantucci? Ah, no? The ones with almonds?? Aaah, Prato Biscuits!! There you go, that’s their name! They were born in Prato before 1700!”

Curious? Then... we look forward to seeing you at Via Porta Rossa 76 R, in the little Mattei museum.

Letizia Pandolfini