The best bread bakeries in Ferrara chosen by Gambero Rosso

A long-standing tradition of baking in Emilia Romagna, which varies significantly from one area to another. Mainly made with soft wheat flour, of medium size, and characterised by an immense amount of creativity in shape, often defining their names and features. This is true for one of the most well-known breads in this region, the “Coppia ferrarese”: made with type 0 white flour, a pre-prepared sourdough “biga” starter from the day before, and the classic X-shaped bread. It is a pleasant and flavourful product, with a thin, golden crust and a soft crumb. You can find it in two of the best bakeries in Ferrara as highlighted by our latest guide, Pane e Panettieri d'Italia.

The best bread bakeries in Ferrara

Farinamente

Not far from the University, a bakery managed by siblings Luca and Chiara Campanella, born into the trade. Between a small coffee corner and a dispenser offering free water refills, their display cases are filled with bread following a clear philosophy: selected flours from ancient grains, sourdough, and a lot of passion. The Coppia, typical Ferrarese bread, reigns supreme, accompanied by rye loaves with a perfectly cooked fragrant crust and compact crumb, Puglia bread made from semolina, farro pretzels, bread with figs and walnuts. Among the specialties to taste are the fragrant white “pane delle rose”, black cuttlefish ink hamburgers, beetroot, pumpkin, and spinach, as well as pizzas, focaccias, and quiches, made-to-order according to the customer's recipe. Additionally, there are pumpkin and multigrain piadinas. On the sweet side, fragrant holiday leavened products, donuts, sbrisolona (a type of cookie-like cake), angel wings, ravioli, and cream puffs.

via Porta San Pietro, 37/a – 0532 1881292

herb bread from Filoncino

Filonificio

Amidst the narrow and fascinating streets of the city's historic center lies a “micro-bakery” with a workshop at the back where bread and leavened goods are produced daily using sourdough and organic flours. The production schedule is listed in the weekly calendar. What never fails to impress is the “filone contadino”: a bread with a pronounced and golden crust, a compact and airy crumb, and a balanced taste without excessive saltiness or acidity. Then, there's the “filone ai grani antichi” made with Senatore Cappelli wheat, one with aromatic herbs, a multigrain variation with seeds and nuts, whole wheat with flax seeds. With a high specific weight, the bread loaf, also available in a multigrain version with mixed seeds. Among pastries, there are brioche loaves, oven-baked cakes, and cookies.

Address: Via Voltapaletto, 24 – 348 5399381

"Coppia" bread from Officina Integrale

Officina Integrale

A few steps away from the Torrione, erected in 1400 to defend Ferrara from the Serenissima and now home to the city's Jazz Club, stands a gastronomic bakery led with passion and technique by Vittorio Campanella. An open workshop, organic grains stone-ground, and a great deal of craftsmanship and enthusiasm go into baking, with a focus on humanity and the planet. Not to be missed is the Coppia ferrarese, a historic bread invented in the Renaissance by Messisbugo, inspired by Lucrezia Borgia's curls, prepared with sourdough, wholemeal flour, lard. There are also loaves and bread with a crispy crust and soft crumb, made with selected flours of rye, perciasacchi, einkorn, with additions like oil, milk, turmeric, barley malt, nuts, and bacon breadsticks, focaccias, lean pizza, and “pizza alla pala” (on Wednesdays). Among the sweets, the delicious and centuries-old “Pampepato,” along with lupini, typical Ferrarese cookies, available also at the second retail outlet in Via Garibaldi 3/a.

piazzale San Giovanni, 51/53 – 0532 1864153