Gabriele Bonci
Born
Italy
OccupationChef
Known forSpecializes in pizza al taglio
Notable workChef's Table, Pizza Hero

Gabriele Bonci is an Italian chef who specializes in pizza al taglio.

Early life and education

Bonci was born to Severina and Sergio. His mother's family were farmers in Agro Pontino. His father's family ran a trattoria in Cupramontana.[1] He became interested in baking after observing his mother leaving dough to rise beneath a radiator when the family left the house to attend church.[1]

Bonci recalls every day on the way home from school he would stop for supplì, fried balls of risotto, and a slice of tomato pizza. He attended catering school.[2]

Bonci attended cooking school against his family's wishes.[1] At sixteen he worked in a trattoria in Abruzzo. At eighteen he worked in London. He returned to Rome and worked at Convivio, which at the time had two Michelin stars.[1]

Career

After graduating from cooking school, Bonci worked at Rome's Simposio restaurant and eventually became chef there.[2][1]

In 2003 he opened Pizzarium Bonci near Vatican City, called by The Atlantic "Rome's most revered pizza al taglio (pizza by the slice) joint"[3][4][5] and by Katie Parla and Kristin Gill, authors of Tasting Rome, "Rome's landmark pizza by the slice joint."[6] He opened a Chicago pizzeria with American partner Rick Tasman in 2017.[4][7]

He experimented with fried pasta balls similar to the fried balls of risotto he'd grown up eating.[2] He became well known for his pizzamaking and was named "Michelangelo of Pizza" by Vogue.[2][3][8] He was invited on a television program, La prova del cuoco.[2] He became a regular.[2][3] He also served as a judge on reality competition television shows such as Bake Off Italia.[9][10]

Elisia Menuni developed a logo Bonci used, and Bonci developed a character around it, Bonci.[2] Bonci became a celebrity chef in Italy to the point a jingle, "Bonci, Bonci, bon-bon-bon", was used to introduce him for his appearances.[2][3][8] In 2011 he began teaching at Rome's Tricolore cooking school.[3]

According to Matt Goulding, Bonci "set off a small revolution in the Italian baking and pizza world".[11] Bonci worked with sourdough bakers Richard Hart and Vanessa Kimbell in 2019, writing the forward to Vanessa Kimbell's bestselling book "Il pane di pasta madre" [12]

The pressure of sustaining the persona caused him to retreat from the public view. As of the early 2020s he says he considers himself not a pizzaiolo but a farmer.[2]

Bonci had a television program, Pizza Hero.[2] In each episode, he evaluated the work of three pizza ovens, choosing two to compete for the opportunity to have their stores remodeled.[13] It filmed in cities around Italy.[2]

In 2013 Bonci's Pizza:Seasonal Recipes From Rome’s Legendary Pizzarium was published.[5]

In 2017, Bonci opened his first pizzeria outside Italy,[14][15] in West Loop, Chicago.[16] A second Chicago pizzeria opened in Wicker Park, Chicago, but later shut down.[17] Bonci opened a pizzeria in 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana; [18] it later closed. In 2021 Bonci opened a pizzeria in Miami, Florida in Wynwood;[19][20][21] it later closed. In 2023 the brand opened another location in Lakeview, Chicago.

Approach

Ingredients

Bonci focuses on higher-quality ingredients such as flour from Piedmont artisanal producer Mulino Marino.[3][22][11] He developed a blend of grains which he calls pane di semper which creates a "light, delicate" crust.[10] He includes whole grains, which produce more flavor, and high-gluten flour, which helps whole-grain flours rise well.[22] Grains he works with include whole wheat, whole grain farro, and spelt.[22] He uses a wild-caught yeast.[10][22] According to Nancy Harmon Jenkins he incorporates olive oil, which is unusual for pizza dough.[23]

Technique

Bonci uses breadmaking techniques, such as a long-fermentation method at low temperatures, which encourages the development of complex flavors in the dough.[3][22][11][24] He does not knead.[22]

Recognition

The Atlantic called Bonci "Italy's foremost celebrity baker".[3] The Los Angeles Times called him "Rome's phenomenal pizza master".[5] The Washington Post said, "what do you call him? chef? baker? pizzamaker fanatic? genius?"[25] La Repubblica said that with Stefano Bonilli he had "inaugurated an era".[26] Anthony Bourdain joked that in order to get Bonci's pizza, people should, "Leave your family, abandon your children".[27][28][29] Mashed said he'd "reinvented the Roman idea of pizza".[29] Il Sussidiario called him "Italy's greatest baker".[9] Marida Caterini called him "The king of Roman pizza" and said "Traditionally, food critics call his preparations not pizzas, but actual works of art".[10] They credited him with raising Roman pizza to national importance.[10] Parla and Gill called him a "legendary baker".[6] Goulding called him a "virtuoso".[11] Barbara Caracciolo credited him with making pizza al taglio "internationally respected".[30]

Netflix included him in their Chef's Table documentary series.[29]

Personal life

Bonci describes himself as a "big child. Big and round. Beautifully round".[2] He started to cook at 14 and says that from then on he knew he wanted to cook and never wanted to do anything else.[2] He has said that he became confused between where the dividing line between Gabriele Bonci and the character Bonci was, calling the character his "clown costume" and the jingle "the red nose". In 2022 he describes having to kill the character in order to himself survive. At the time he weighed almost 200 kilograms (440 lb). He decided to have sleeve gastrectomy.[2]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Bonci, Gabriele (2013). Pizza : seasonal recipes from Rome's legendary pizzarium. Elisia Menduni. New York, NY. pp. 14–16. ISBN 978-0-8478-4068-7. OCLC 832278440.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 "Chef's Table: Pizza". www.netflix.com. Retrieved 2023-01-20.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Parla, Katie (2011-04-01). "The Art of Roman Pizza: Learning From Italy's Famous Baker". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  4. 1 2 "Bonci serves Roman-style pizza on light-as-air crust — possibly the best crust in Chicago". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  5. 1 2 3 "'Pizza' from Rome's phenomenal pizza maestro Gabriele Bonci". Los Angeles Times. 2013-10-18. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  6. 1 2 Parla, Katie; Gill, Kristina (2016-03-29). Tasting Rome: Fresh Flavors and Forgotten Recipes from an Ancient City: A Cookbook. Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. pp. 55, 197. ISBN 978-0-8041-8718-3.
  7. ↑ Rosano, Liliana (24 October 2017). "E' già realtà il sogno americano di Gabriele Bonci: la pizza romana trionfa a Chicago". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  8. 1 2 "Rome's 'Michelangelo of pizza'". the Guardian. 2011-09-06. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  9. 1 2 "Gabriele Bonci/ Da Pizza Hero sotto al tendone per stupire (Bake Off Italia 2019)". IlSussidiario.net (in Italian). 2019-10-18. Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 Martini, Beatrice (2019-10-18). "Bake Off Italia 7 – Gabriele Bonci ospite della puntata del 18 ottobre". Marida Caterini - TV Intrattenimento Informazione Talk Show (in Italian). Retrieved 2023-01-22.
  11. 1 2 3 4 Goulding, Matt (2018). Pasta, pane, vino : deep travels through Italy's food culture. Douglas Hughmanick, Nathan Thornburgh. New York, NY. pp. 27, 35, 212. ISBN 978-0-06-265509-7. OCLC 1039717245.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. ↑ Kimbell, Vanessa (2018). Il pane di pasta madre (in Italian) (1st ed.). Italy: Kyle Books / Atlante. pp. 3–5. ISBN 9788874551637.
  13. ↑ "Inizia oggi il programma tv dove Gabriele Bonci racconta il mestiere del fornaio". Gambero Rosso (in Italian). 28 January 2019. Retrieved 25 January 2023.
  14. ↑ The Early Buzz on America’s First Bonci Pizzeria Outside of Italy Ashok Selvam, Eater, August 22, 2017
  15. ↑ One of Italy's Top Pizzerias Will Make Its Stateside Debut in Chicago Next Month Chicago, July 26, 2017
  16. ↑ Bonci pizzeria opens in West Loop, bringing Roman al taglio style to Chicago Bill Daley, Chicago Tribune, August 17, 2017
  17. ↑ Paulie Gee’s Pizza Now Open In Old Bonci Spot In Wicker Park Hannah Alani, Block Club Chicago, February 2, 2021
  18. ↑ Rome’s acclaimed Bonci Pizza brings its scissor-cut slices to New Orleans IAN MCNULTY nola.com July 26, 2019
  19. ↑ Anthony Bourdain-Favorite Bonci Pizza Debuts in Wynwood Eater, Olee Fowler, November 8, 2021
  20. ↑ Italian pizza star Gabriele Bonci opens new Roman style pizzeria Biscayne Bay Tribune, November 22, 2021
  21. ↑ Anthony Bourdain loved this Roman chef’s pizza. Now you can try it yourself in Miami CONNIE OGLE, Miami Herald, November 8, 2021
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Vetri, Marc; Joachim, David (2018-08-28). "Dough at Bonci". Mastering Pizza: The Art and Practice of Handmade Pizza, Focaccia, and Calzone. Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed. pp. 41–57, 60, 80, 136, 166. ISBN 978-0-399-57923-3.
  23. ↑ Jenkins, Nancy Harmon (2015). Virgin Territory: Exploring the World of Olive Oil. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 164. ISBN 978-1-118-20322-4.
  24. ↑ Parla, Katie (22 June 2022). "The 20 Best Pizzerias in Rome". Eater.
  25. ↑ "Menomale NoMa draws inspiration from Rome with its superb pizza in teglia". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  26. ↑ "Pizza: dall'orto al forno, miracolo italiano". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2023-01-17. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  27. ↑ Doss, Laine. "Anthony Bourdain's The Layover: Rome Is For Food Lovers (A Recap)". Miami New Times. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  28. ↑ "Gabriele Bonci Visits New York City". The Daily Meal. 2013-11-06. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  29. 1 2 3 Riddle, Holly (2022-09-07). "How Chef's Table: Pizza's Gabriele Bonci Makes Food Political - Exclusive". Mashed. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
  30. ↑ Caracciolo, Barbara (2020-09-22). Pizza: The Ultimate Cookbook. Simon and Schuster. p. 60. ISBN 978-1-64643-003-1.

Further reading

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