Tale of a Torta
by Betsy Power
From the front, one would never know. It appears to be yet another unassuming bakery on a quaint plaza in a typical small town in southern Spain. But beyond those bakery doors, through the family dining room, "slash" business-office, exists the last remaining bakery in all of Spain to be producing tortas in the traditional fashion. Here, around a communal table, skilled women hand craft each rich olive oil crisp-bread into existence – one-by-one.
For over 100 years, Andalusians have breakfasted and snacked on this crisp bread that finds its roots in Moorish cuisine. It is no wonder that Andalusia, the largest olive oil producing region in the world, is the birthplace of the torta. Locals have historically found innovative ways of employing the liquid gold. The torta, made with over 20% olive oil, is one of the more mouth-watering results.
The town of Castilleja de la Cuesta near Sevilla has always been known for its tortas. But as the fame and demand for tortas grew, so too did the bakers who made them famous. Eventually, the big guys moved out of town in search of space to produce tortas on a grand scale, and the smaller family-run businesses faded away. One baker's son, Francisco Jose Prieto Gordillo , dedicated himself to bringing the tradition back.
In 1870, Antonio Prieto Pinto, Francisco's grandfather, established the family bakery on the main plaza in Castilleja de la Cuesta. Alongside conventional bakery fare, the family also produced tortas for local consumption. By the late-60's demand for tortas encouraged Francisco's father to focus more attention on torta production. Yet by the early 70's, the competition of the larger factories became too much and the family retreated back to its bakery roots.
Francisco and his two brothers grew up in the bakery. By age seven, he was working alongside his father before and after school, and even during school when demand was great.
Today Francisco and his brothers run the family business. His mom, the boss, continues to work front-of-house doling out sweet Magdalenas muffins and fresh-baked bread to her neighborhood clientele. In 1999, Francisco re-fashioned the bakery to bring back the traditional torta of his youth – using the family recipe and artisan methods. Today, Hermanos Prieto Gordillo is one of the few bakeries in all of Andalusia still producing tortas by hand, and the only bakery in town using olive oil as called for by the original recipe.
The secret of an exquisite torta has been handed down from grandfather, to father, to son – through experience. Francisco safeguards the recipe in his head. Each morning, as he makes the dough, he varies the ingredients ever so slightly depending on the quality of the flour and the humidity in the air.
Once the dough has passed Francisco's approval, the women take over. It's like watching a graceful dancer or a practiced athlete – they make it look so easy. But one turn at the communal torta-forming bench easily humbles the over-confident visitor (i.e. I failed miserably). These women have been hand-forming tortas for years. A few whacks, a flip of the wrist, one last pat, and onto the next. Tray after tray fills up with disks of dough destined for the oven, natural cooling, and hand-packing in wax paper – just as it has been done for over 100 years.
Last year, Francisco's tortas made their debut in the United States under the Matiz brand, and proved to be as enticing to Americans as they are to Andalusians. In addition to the traditional sweet torta and torta with almonds revered by the Spaniards, Prieto Gordillo has made a special savory torta to tempt the American palette. It has been so successful, that his Spanish customers are clamoring for the new flavor.
As the traditional torta comes back, the pressure is on Prieto Gordillo to grow to meet demand. Fortunately for us torta enthusiasts, Francisco is more interested in quality than quantity – he vows to stick to the traditional recipe and methods. If he has his way, the secret of the torta will live on through the next generation. Growing up in a bakery doesn't sound half bad.