In Andria, homemade bread is made in a collective oven

In addition to bread, you can also make pizza and focaccia, and everyone brings their own dough. It's a way to build community and learn to be together.

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Screenshot 2026 06 25 at 11.47.55

Don Vito Gaudioso , parish priest of the Church of Sant'Agostino in Andria, in the province of Barletta-Andria-Trani, Puglia, has always had one obsession as the compass of his pastoral mission: building community. This includes simple, concrete activities, such as a community bakery that, thanks to the collaboration of the Sant'Agostino Cooperative , he was able to open in his hometown. He also welcomed and provided work to Italians and foreigners, like Seidu-Ishmans, who arrived in Lampedusa from Ghana on a boat after paying protection money to smugglers. He begged in front of a supermarket until Don Vito took him to work for the cooperative. Now he's a happy man, a worker with a contract. Luciana, on the other hand, worked as a secretary in a doctor's office. Suddenly, she lost her job and decided to learn to bake bread. And she's grown to enjoy it, so much so that sometimes she begins to think that being unemployed isn't always such a bad thing.

The large wood-fired oven, opened by Don Vito in the heart of the historic center, is no ordinary bakery; it's open to everyone: anyone who wishes can bring their homemade products there to bake. Bread, focaccia, baked pasta, and pizza. This is where the residents of Andria guarantee perfect baking, and more: they can meet with friends, chat, and swap recipes.

But that's not all. On the same land, there's a small wood used as pasture where the sheep of the surrounding farmers roam. A small olive grove. An almond orchard and a vegetable garden. This is where the raw materials come from for the coop's extra virgin olive oil, olive pâté, and "bomba murgiana": a spreadable cream used to season pasta or toasted bread.
The bakery is open on these days and at these times:
  • Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday: 08:00 am – 13:30 pm and 18:00 pm – 21:30 pm
  • Thursday: 08 hours: 00 - 13: 30 (closed afternoon)
  • Friday and Saturday: 08:00 am – 13:30 pm and 18:00 pm – 21:30 pm
  • Sunday: Closed
To check the availability of the wood-fired oven for your dough or to order specific products, you can contact the facility at the telephone number +39 371 361 3589.

Images taken from the S.Agostino Social Cooperative 's Facebook page and the social cooperative's portal

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