I had the pleasure of taking a breadmaking class from Larry Lagatutta, owner and head baker at Enrico Biscotti in the Strip District. It started with the class participants sitting around a long table sharing a divine breakfast of: roasted vegetables; hard cheeses; spaghetti and meatballs; biscotti; misc. baked goods; beans and greens with garlic; torta rustica; wine; coffee; and water. Even with that huge list, I am afraid I probably missed something.

As we ate, the words began. Larry Lagatutta is an amazing presenter and teacher. It’s obvious he’s done this many times before and knows how to reach his audience. The title of this update is one of Mr. Lagatutta’s oft-spoken phrases, reminding us that we have to slow down, give things time, and trust the instructions.

We learned to be a loving God, a Princess, and an all-knowing God. We committed the holocaust of a trillion yeasts. We learned all of the things that your Nonna never actually did. We learned the Italian-centric history of bread. We learned that history is all about sex, bread, and world domination. We learned that putting too much water into your dough is not the disaster that you might think it is.

There were beautiful stories about bread, stories from customers, and the importance of keeping our food heritage alive. It was an amazing experience and I can’t wait to put it into action. I am also looking forward to the possibility of taking another class from him at some point (he has a pizza class and a whole wheat bread class).

If you are in Pittsburgh or can be in Pittsburgh, please consider taking a class or participating in one of the other events at Enrico. You can join their fan page on Facebook. There is also a newsletter, which you can sign up for on the website or in person at the store.

Just before we left the shop, the class participants were reminded that we have to teach what we have learned so that it is not lost. It sounds like I need to work on my technique and then share it with others.

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