S. Forno Panificio

Great little boutique bread shop in the Santo Spirito neighborhood with lots of goodies. This place is open by the same owners of the nearby restaurant, Il Santo Bevitore, and the snack place next to that, Il Santino, two of my favorite places to eat in the city. Il Santo Forno did not disappoint — the same top quality eats and not just the usual Tuscan loaves that you find in most places but several different kinds of breads, focaccia and cakes/​sweets too. Everything looked so good it was hard for me to decide what to get. Besides some rolls I got a slice of walnut cake and it was really delicious! The atmosphere of the shop is great, there are even a a few chairs and stools if someone wants to eat in and I loved the fact that outside there is no sign indicating Il Santo Forno, just a small writing on the glass door and an old generic «PANIFICIO» sign outside. I would have given it 5 stars only that I felt that the lady behind the counter could have been a little more friendly (a smile would help!). But in general I loved it and will be back!

Im not a big fan of pane toscano which is traditionally no salt. At least, Im not a fan based on what I normally find in restaurants and markets. It is flavorless with a texture that is not very interesting. But even when I do eat it, I can tell there are good and bad ones.
So I walked into S. forno Panificio not expecting a whole lot. I ordered just one bread, I dont know what it was called but it was a darkly baked ciabatta looking bread. I took it home and was totally impressed. Great chewy texture and nice flavor. It tasted like they aged/​developed the starter and/​or dough. As of right now, I wont be buying my bread anywhere else. I later learned that they just called it a lievito madre (mother yeast or dough starter).
The next day I had to try something else. I ordered a small tart thing which with a rice and ricota filling. It was great and not too sweet which is idea for me. I also ordered a small squashed bread, kindof a very small la schiacciata, which was densly sprinkled with salt and seeds. It was a keeper too. Unfortunately they dont do coffee so I took my mini seeded schiacciata a few doors down and grabbed an espresso elsewhere.
I west back 2 days later, in the evening, and got my lievito madre, a mini seeded schiacciata looking thing, a pretzel which was great, and a mini bun that was split, smeared thickly with butter, and a 2 – 3 anchovies. I inhaled it and could have eaten a few more.
They also have some nice but maybe expensive pantry items. And some salumi. I read that the old owner, after many years of owning the operation, sold it to some young bakers that updated some of the classic recipes. It seems like they have hit on a nice mix of tradition and new styles.