Bread from South Tyrol: Rye flatbreads with sourdough and blue fenugreek

Bread is made from flour, water, salt, and a leavening agent like sourdough or yeast, and every region has created its own forms from these. This category features bread from South Tyrol: flat rye breads made with sourdough, seasoned with fennel, caraway, and blue fenugreek. They are baked by an organic bakery in St. Walburg in the Ulten Valley, ranging from soft flatbreads for breakfast to crispy Schüttelbrot (crispbread) for a snack.

Why South Tyrolean bread is flat, spicy, and made of rye

In the mountain valleys of South Tyrol, rye was the typical bread grain for centuries because it thrives even at harsh high altitudes. Rye bread needs acidity so the dough maintains its structure during baking; that is why it is prepared with sourdough. This gives the bread its mild acidity, a moist crumb, and ensures it stays fresh longer than light wheat bread. Incidentally, according to the guidelines of the German Food Code, a bread in Germany can only be called rye bread if at least 90% of the grain content is rye.

The flat shape also has practical reasons. In remote mountain farmhouses, bread was often only baked every few weeks, and flat loaves dry out evenly instead of remaining moist inside. This way, the supply lasted until the next baking day.

Blue fenugreek, fennel, and caraway

South Tyrolean bread owes its typical aroma to a spice that is rarely found on spice racks outside the Alps: blue fenugreek, botanically known as *Trigonella caerulea*. The blue-flowering plant is related to fenugreek and grows mainly in the Alpine region; it gets its second name from Glarner Schabziger, a Swiss herb cheese. Dried and ground, it tastes spicy and slightly like hay. Together with fennel and caraway, it creates the classic bread spice blend. Blue fenugreek and fennel are in all four breads in this category, and caraway is in three of them.

Vinschger Paarl, flatbreads, and Schüttelbrot

The Vinschger Paarl comes from the Vinschgau region in western South Tyrol. The name comes from its shape: two round, flat pieces of dough are baked together, forming a "pair." According to tradition, the recipe dates back to the Marienberg monastery above Burgeis. Small individual pieces are called Vinschgerl. Schüttelbrot is quite different: its soft dough is shaken on a wooden plate until it spreads out into a thin flatbread and is baked until it is hard and dry. Stored in a dry place, it remains edible for several months.

Our bread from Ultner Brot

All breads in this category come from Ultner Brot in St. Walburg in the Ulten Valley, a side valley near Merano. Our top seller is the Original Ultner Bread: two flatbreads made from 100% organic rye flour with mild sourdough, rock salt, fennel, caraway, and blue fenugreek, totaling 440 g. A spicy everyday bread that can be easily frozen.

The Vinschger Minis are very popular—four small organic rye breads in the Vinschgau style made from 100% rye flour, shaped by hand and baked on stone. The Vinschger Paarl consists of two flat organic rye loaves with 42% whole-grain rye flour from the in-house mill, making it taste a bit more hearty. The hand-shaken organic Schüttelbrot provides the crispy element, made from predominantly organic rye flour, shaken by hand on wooden plates, and seasoned with fennel and blue fenugreek.

For breakfast and for the "Marende"

In the morning, slice the Vinschger Minis, toast them briefly, and spread butter and a spoonful of honey on them. The Paarl and the Original Ultner bread taste great with butter and chives, with cream cheese and radishes, or with a savory spread made of porcini mushrooms or truffles. They are truly at home during the Marende, the South Tyrolean snack: a wooden board with speck, mountain cheese, pickles, and a piece of bread that you slice or simply break off. You break Schüttelbrot into pieces, place speck and cheese on top, or serve it instead of croutons with barley soup.

Storing and freezing bread

• Soft rye breads: Store in a bread bin, a clay pot, or wrapped in a linen cloth, cut side down. Bread goes stale faster in the refrigerator.
• Freezing: Freeze flatbreads and minis in airtight portions and consume them within about three months. Thaw at room temperature or bake for a few minutes in the oven.
• Schüttelbrot: Store dry and well-sealed to keep it crispy.
• Grain: All four breads are baked from rye and contain gluten.

More for breakfast and snacking

Bread is part of our Breakfast & Spreads category. You can find what to spread on it under Savory Spreads with porcini mushroom pâté and fish creams, as well as under Honey with the organic varieties from Honigwanderer. Savory snacks from the same bakery can be found under Savory Snacks: grissini made from organic spelt, mini-Schüttelbrot, and Struzen chips made from rye fruit bread.

Order bread online

Whether flatbreads for the whole week, minis for Sunday breakfast, or Schüttelbrot for your next snack: at Leni & Hans, you can order South Tyrolean bread online, and your package will be with you in 1–3 days.