Roman Pilgrimage: Forno Campo de' Fiori

The third and final act of this pilgrimage to a trinity of holy roman food sites concludes at Forno Campo de' Fiori, the amazing bakery at Campo de' Fiori which is justly famous for its pizza bianca -- a chewy, crunchy, olive oil-rich flatbread sprinkled with sea salt.

Ordering was a challenge. The small retail space inside the bakery was packed full, and I had to order quickly or I would get squeezed out and miss my chance for the warm bread. I made eye contact across the counter and using both hands made the international gesture for "just about so big." Immediately, the pizza bianca, which had just landed on the chopping block from the oven, was quickly sliced, deftly wrapped in butcher paper, and handed over to me. We bought some peach iced tea and took our slices out into the square to savor in the sun.

On the opposite side from the busy counter area is a view to where the bread is made. There, you can see the process firsthand in all its glory. A handful of men work like clockwork, quietly and methodically (yet quickly) transforming a seemingly endless supply soft mounds of dough into the thin, dimpled, golden flatbread.