Die italienischen Omas gewinnen Instagram mit fast 90 Jahren

A pair of practiced hands pushes novice fingers into the stretchy dough, encouraging the boldness needed to coax the focaccia into the pan’s creases before mashing in juicy tomatoes and garlic. After a sprinkling of dried oregano and a generous splash of olive oil, the pan is ready for the wood-fired oven.

My teacher is Graziella Incampo, Italy’s answer to Julia Child. At 89, Incampo and her childhood friend Teresa Calia, 88, have become a social media sensation, drawing millions of[ Instagram views](https://www.instagram.com/fornosantacaterina/) and heaven-knows-how many visitors to this region’s oldest bakery.

Quirky videos showcase the pair as they dance to electronic music, play a guitar and mix margaritas in a wheelbarrow. They fill a yards-long loaf with fresh stracciatella cheese, grate tomatoes on top and finish it off with coppa ham. For their cooking lesson on *parmigiana*, Calia dons a vintage war helmet while Incampo wears yellow goggles as they fry up sliced eggplant, whipping the egg wash with a fork attached to a drill. *Belissima!*

Their “set” is a shady barrel-vault and medieval courtyard across a narrow stone lane from[ Antico Forno Santa Caterina](https://www.fornosantacaterina.it/), founded in 1307 in the medieval walled city of Altamura. It’s part of the *forno*’s “Bread Experience,” a bespoke culinary foray into history, baking, cheese-making and herbal remedies.