From The Family Behind Pronto Sandwiches
Our Story
Pronto Panificio bread is now available in all Jewel, Pete’s Fresh Market, and Tony’s Fresh Market locations!
5 Locations In Illinois
the bakery
Pronto Panificio is a Chicago-area artisanal bakery dedicated to crafting premium, traditionally inspired Italian breads that capture the soul of Tuscan and regional Italian baking. Best known as the maker of the signature schiacciata bread that powers the wildly popular Pronto Italian Sandwiches chain, Pronto Panificio produces small-batch, high-quality loaves using time-honored techniques, imported Italian ingredients, and a passion for authenticity. Its flagship product is the crackly, golden schiacciata—a flatbread that sits perfectly between ciabatta and focaccia—along with sourdough pizza crusts in the same schiacciata style and hearty semolina breads that honor Sicily’s baking heritage.
Our Story
The story of Pronto Panificio begins with Peter and Dana Burdi, longtime restaurateurs in Hinsdale, Illinois, and owners of the Italian restaurant Il Poggiolo. In 2022, while visiting their daughter Isabella in Milan, the couple discovered the magic of schiacciata at a tiny sandwich shop run by a local nonna. The bread’s light, airy interior, crispy exterior, and perfect chew left an indelible impression. Determined to bring that same experience home, they returned to Illinois and set out to recreate it. Local bakeries couldn’t match the texture or flavor, so Peter and Dana imported double-zero flour straight from Italy, teamed up with Chef Saul Maya, and spent months perfecting a proprietary recipe. The result is a bread that takes roughly four-and-a-half hours from start to finish—pressed by hand to control the rise, yielding those signature crevices, elastic air pockets, and irresistible crunch.
