One of the many reasons for going to Mario Sparti is his latest creation, the Rivolotto. Mario, a Master at the Academy of Bread and vice-president of the Turin Bakers’ Association, and another five bakers recently joined a project launched by the commune of Rivoli for the creation of a product typical of the city. The result, Rivolotto, an R-shaped biscuit to nibble at on the move, is made with type-00 flour, PGI Piedmontese hazelnut flour, icing sugar, Piedmontese butter, eggs, vanilla and salt, and decorated with hazelnuts. That said, Sparti, open in Rivoli since 1989, stands out most of all for its bread: besides traditional types such as the giant ciabattona di Mario, this family run-bakery also turns out special breads made with rustic flours and wheat germ leavened for different lengths of time, as well as different types of grissini and pizza bianca – including focaccia di Mario, made with flour, water, biga (a pre-ferment), brewer’s yeast, sourdough starter and salt – and fried pastries such as krapfen, bugie and Sicilian cannoli. In season, it is also possible to find classic yeast-leavened cakes such as panettone and colomba, while biscuits, cakes and canapés of very type are available all year round.
