Meet Graziella and Teresa of Antico Forno Santa Caterina
Scroll through TikTok and you might land in a flour-filled kitchen where two Puglian nonnas are cracking jokes, shaping bread, and trading friendly insults. That’s the world of @fornosantacaterina, home to 89-year-old Nonna Graziella and 82-year-old Nonna Teresa, the lively duo behind Palermo’s most charming bakery.
They’re doing what they’ve done for decades at Antico Forno Santa Caterina, a family-run bakery in Palermo’s Ballarò Market. Their hands work with the ease of experience: rolling dough, scattering flour, and handing out fresh focaccia with playful grins.
A Bakery With Deep Roots
Antico Forno Santa Caterina has been serving Palermo since 1946. Graziella and Teresa have been at the heart of it for more than 40 years, carrying forward the rhythms of Puglian baking. Every morning, they show up early, move quickly, and fill the shop with the kind of warmth only generations of tradition can create.
The name also appears in Altamura, Puglia, where another Antico Forno Santa Caterina traces its roots back to 1391. That historic bakery specializes in Pane di Altamura and hosts cooking workshops steeped in centuries-old Puglian culinary heritage. While the two fornos share a name, each brings its region’s spirit to life—one through centuries of rustic stone-oven bread, the other through the vibrant energy of two unforgettable nonnas.
Today’s Experience
- Today, Antico Forno Santa Caterina is not just a bakery but also a social and cultural hub. It offers guided tours, bread-making workshops, and masterclasses in Puglian cuisine, inviting both locals and visitors to immerse themselves in the history and flavors of Altamura.
- The bakery is celebrated for its Pane di Altamura, focaccia, and other traditional products, all baked in the centuries-old stone oven
TikTok Stardom, One Loaf at a Time
As of May 2025, @fornosantacaterina has grown into a social media phenomenon with 557,900 TikTok followers, 12.6 million likes, and strong followings on Instagram (124k), Facebook (187k), and YouTube (8,193 subscribers). On TikTok, their videos capture everything from the art of focaccia-making to full-on kitchen comedy.
Their most-viewed TikTok, this video, has racked up 13.8 million views and 1.6 million likes. In the clip, Nonna Teresa proudly presents different types of bread toppings—bread with tomatoes, bread with olive oil, bread with mozzarella, stracciatella, even chocolate—all delivered in her charming and animated Italian. It’s hilarious how she enthusiastically names each one, and fans can’t get enough of her energy and humor. The comments are filled with people saying she reminds them of their own nonnas, and how they could watch her talk about food all day.
Graziella and Teresa, Unfiltered and Unstoppable
What sets them apart is their humour. Nonna Maria is the more mischievous one—she’ll sneak bites of cheese or olives when she thinks the camera’s not looking. Nonna Caterina is the “boss”, always trying to keep things organised, but she’s quick to laugh at any kitchen disaster.
Here’s what you’ll see in their videos:
- Mock arguments over who knows the “real” family recipe.
- Teasing about who’s slower or messier.
- Physical comedy—Maria nearly grabbing a hot pan, Caterina swatting her hand away, both of them cackling.
- Unscripted moments—the cat jumping on the table, flour clouds everywhere, or Maria singing old Puglian songs while she works.
They don’t edit out mistakes. If a loaf burns, they show it. If the dough is too sticky, they just add more flour and keep going. The result is a kitchen that feels lived-in and loved, not staged.
Famous Fans and Floury Celebrations
The nonnas’ kitchen antics have caught the attention of other TikTok creators too. One of the best reactions comes from @chefreactions (watch the video here), who reviews their bread-making with genuine admiration and a fair bit of laughter. He points out their technique, the size of their pans, and can’t help but smile at their bickering and teamwork. The comments on his reaction video are full of people saying, “I want to be like these nonnas when I grow up.”
French DJ Bob Sinclar visited the bakery and made a TikTok with the nonnas (watch the collab here). The video is pure joy—Bob tries to keep up with the nonnas as they shape dough and tease him about his technique. At one point, he even starts dancing, and Nonna Caterina joins in, apron and all.
The nonnas’ popularity earned them a nomination for “Best Food Creator” at the TikTok Awards. Their nomination video (see it here) shows them celebrating in the bakery, surrounded by family and staff, waving floury hands and blowing kisses to the camera in classic nonna style.
Why People Love Them
- They’re real. No scripts, no filters, just two nonnas cooking the way they always have.
- The food is proper Puglian. Recipes aren’t fancy, but they’re full of flavour and history.
- The humour is infectious. You’ll laugh even if you don’t understand every word.
- It feels like family. Their kitchen is messy, noisy, and full of love.
If you want to see what real Puglian home baking looks like—with all the mess, laughter, and warmth—@fornosantacaterina is the place. You’ll pick up a recipe or two, but more than that, you’ll get a reminder of why food and family go hand in hand. And if you’re lucky, you’ll catch Nonna Maria sneaking a bite when she thinks nobody’s watching.
