Many people first discovered Panificio San Giuseppe after its victory on the Italian TV programme Il Forno delle Meraviglie in 2025. But the story behind this award-winning bakery began much earlier, in 1986, in the Nesima Superiore district of Catania, Sicily.

"My parents opened the bakery in 1986. I've been working here since I was a child, I started kneading dough when I was five or six years old. I literally grew up inside this bakery," says Sebastiano Scuderi.

Today, Sebastiano runs the family business alongside his wife, carrying forward a legacy built over nearly four decades.

"The bakery has been passed down by my parents to me."

That continuity is reflected in the values that still define the laboratory today.

"Tradition, with our family's historic recipes, is at the heart of everything we do. I've introduced innovation, but without losing sight of our roots. We're a neighbourhood bakery, and while we continue to innovate, we remain faithful to the history and identity of our products."

Sicilian grains, stone-milled flours for an all-day bakery

The connection with the local area begins with the ingredients.

"We've focused both on our Sicilian grains and on rediscovering traditional stone-milled flours."

Production runs throughout the day and covers a wide range of baked goods.

"We produce bread, traditional baked pastries, and several styles of pizza, from Roman-style to our own Sicilian pizza."

Why Panificio San Giuseppe chose the Neapolis pizza oven

In 2019, the bakery decided to expand its offering by introducing contemporary Neapolitan pizza.

To support this new direction, Sebastiano chose the Neapolis professional pizza oven.

He first discovered it during a professional course organised by a Moretti Forni dealer.

"That's where I first saw it, and I knew it was the right choice."

His decision was driven by first-hand experience.

"I'd already worked with Moretti Forni's serieS oven and had been impressed. When I saw Neapolis, I tried it... and then I bought it."

Today, Neapolis is used primarily for the afternoon and evening pizza service.

"We serve contemporary Neapolitan pizza from 4 pm until 10 pm."

For Sebastiano, the oven's greatest strength is its baking performance.

"I've worked with many electric ovens, but Neapolis is the one that most faithfully recreates the baking of a traditional wood-fired oven."

It's an opinion built on years of professional experience.

"I've worked in different kitchens and used many other ovens. There's simply no comparison."

According to Sebastiano, it's the oven's construction that makes the difference.

"Neapolis is made of refractory stone, which delivers incredibly precise baking. It's also built with the perfect chamber height. It's the ideal oven for contemporary pizza."

Consistent baking performance, even during peak service

Weekends are particularly demanding for a business focused mainly on takeaway.

"In just two and a half hours, we bake around 150 pizzas."

Even during the busiest shifts, the oven keeps stable temperatures and consistent baking.

More than a pizza oven

Although Neapolis was chosen for contemporary Neapolitan pizza, it is used throughout the bakery.

"I've baked naturally leavened bread in it, as well as traditional Catania bread rolls, ‘panuzzi’."

Over time, it has also been used for other preparations.

"I even roast aubergines and other vegetables directly on the deck."

Versatility is one of the features Sebastiano values most.

"Absolutely, it's an incredibly versatile oven."

Easy to use and energy efficient

One of the biggest advantages has been its simplicity.

"If I had to rate it, I'd give it top marks. Compared with a wood-fired oven, there's simply no comparison."

Energy consumption has also exceeded expectations.

"To be honest, I haven't noticed any increase in our electricity bills. That's one of the first questions people ask me, but I genuinely haven't seen any difference."

According to Sebastiano, one of the reasons is how quickly the oven reaches operating temperature.

"In about an hour, an hour and twenty minutes at most, it reaches temperature and then maintains it effortlessly. Thanks to the thick stone lining, it retains heat exceptionally well."

Growing recognition while staying true to its roots

Winning Il Forno delle Meraviglie brought significant visibility, introducing Panificio San Giuseppe to an audience far beyond its local neighbourhood.

Yet despite the recognition, the bakery has remained true to its identity: a family-run business founded in 1986, deeply connected to its community and guided by the same philosophy ever since.

Innovate, experiment and looking into the future without losing touch with their roots.

Some ovens perform well during busy service. Others are put to the ultimate test: 50 consecutive hours of non-stop baking, producing more than 1,600 pizzas without interruption. 

That was the challenge taken on by Attila Balazs, Hungarian pizza chef and Moretti Forni Ambassador. What began as a light-hearted idea soon became something far more meaningful, a real-world endurance test for X series, proving its ability to deliver consistent baking performance, operational efficiency and reliable results, even under extreme pressure. 

From a conversation between friends to a record-breaking challenge 

The idea was born during a conversation with a DJ friend about unusual endurance records. Someone had recently completed a 24-hour public reading marathon, prompting a simple question: why not attempt something similar with their greatest passions—pizza and music? 

The original plan was to bake continuously for 48 hours. But when Attila realised that the EFOTT Festival, which hosted the event, was celebrating its 50th anniversary, the decision was obvious: the challenge would last 50 continuous hours. 

From the very beginning, however, the goal extended far beyond setting a record. 

Out of the more than 1,600 pizzas baked, over 500 were donated to children's homes, homeless shelters, elderly care facilities and families in need. Part of the event's proceeds also helped fund the medical treatment of a seriously ill child. 

As Attila explains: 

"It wasn't just about standing in front of an oven for 50 hours. It was about proving that pizza can bring people together, create unforgettable experiences and truly make a difference." 

Over 1,600 pizzas. The same standard of quality. 

Throughout the challenge, X series handled a constantly changing production schedule. 

The oven wasn't simply baking pizzas continuously during peak demand. It also switched seamlessly between continuous baking, pre-baking and Refining®, replicating the dynamic workflow of a busy professional pizzeria—only pushed to the extreme. 

"Even after baking more than 1,600 pizzas, the oven delivered the same quality from the first pizza to the last." 

Thanks to dedicated baking programmes and the Power Booster function, performance remained remarkably consistent throughout the entire challenge. 

Only on a few occasions was a minor temperature adjustment required, and thanks to the oven's independent top and deck controls, corrections took just a few seconds. 

As Attila points out: 

"Customers don't care whether they're eating the first or the thousandth pizza of the day. They expect the same quality every time. X series made that possible throughout all 50 hours." 

A winning team. An untiring partner. 

Attila wasn't alone during the challenge. 

Three additional pizza chefs worked with X series, and their feedback was unanimous: 

- An intuitive interface that required virtually no training. 

- Less stress during the busiest moments. 

- More time and energy dedicated to making great pizza instead of managing the oven. 

The Smart Technology behind X series 

One of the biggest advantages became apparent before the challenge had even started. 

All baking recipes were programmed and saved in advance, allowing the team to work for 50 hours with almost no need to adjust baking parameters. 

"That made a huge difference," says Attila. 

"The integrated timer is one of the oven's most valuable features. There's no need to keep checking the pizzas while they're baking—you simply load the oven and unload them when the oven tells you to." 

The time saved could instead be invested in preparing ingredients, managing orders, interacting with customers and coordinating the team. 

Every product had its own dedicated baking programme and assigned baking chamber, creating an exceptionally efficient workflow. 

"After working non-stop for 50 hours, I can honestly say it was a pleasure working with X series." 

What an extreme stress test really reveals about a professional oven 

Asked what impressed him most after such an extraordinary challenge, Attila's answer comes immediately: 

"Its versatility. The same oven handled continuous pizza production while effortlessly switching to pre-baking and Refining®, always delivering the same consistent quality." 

That versatility is matched by ease of use. 

Programmable recipes, independent top and deck heat controls, integrated timers and intelligent baking functions allow pizza chefs to focus on the product rather than the equipment. 

The oven tells operators where to place the product and when it's ready, removing unnecessary complexity from the baking process. 

"For a pizzeria, that means much more than convenience. It means consistent quality, greater efficiency, fewer mistakes and faster service, even during the busiest periods." 

Attila concludes: 

"Our 50-hour challenge was probably one of the toughest real-world tests a professional oven could ever face. If it can perform flawlessly under these conditions, I'm confident it can handle any professional kitchen with ease." 

When an oven performs continuously for 50 hours, bakes more than 1,600 pizzas and maintains the same quality from start to finish, it demonstrates what truly matters in a professional kitchen: consistency, reliability and intelligent technology that supports the people behind every pizza.