Pane Nero di Segale

Name: Pane Nero di Segale
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Valdostana
Ingredients: 350 g dark rye flour; 150 g strong white bread flour; 340 ml lukewarm water; 12 g Fresh yeast; 10 g Fine sea salt; 4 g fennel seeds; 5 g Honey

A traditional Valdostan dark rye loaf with a thick, crisp crust and a dense, earthy crumb lightly scented with fennel seeds.

🇮🇹Italy· Aosta Valley

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 40 min
Total: 65 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 215 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 7 gathered

Servings

350 g dark rye flour — stoneground
150 g strong white bread flour — Tipo 0 or unbleached bread flour
340 ml lukewarm water — around 30 degrees C
12 g Fresh yeast — crumbled
10 g Fine sea salt — unrefined
4 g fennel seeds — semi di finocchio, lightly bruised
5 g Honey — mountain wildflower or chestnut honey

Equipment

•Large mixing bowl
•Baking sheet
•Dough scraper
•Linen tea towel
•Wire cooling rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 215 kcal
fat: 1 g
carbs: 44 g
fibre: 6 g
protein: 6 g
calories: 215 kcal

Instructions

1
Dissolve the fresh yeast and honey in the lukewarm water in a jug.
2
Whisk the dark rye flour, white bread flour, salt and fennel seeds together in a large bowl.
3
Pour the yeast liquid into the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until a sticky dough forms.
4
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently for five minutes until slightly smoother.
5
Shape the dough into a tight round loaf using lightly floured hands.
6
Place the loaf onto a baking sheet lined with baking parchment.
7
Cover loosely with a damp linen towel and leave to prove in a warm place for ninety minutes.
8
Preheat your oven to 220 degrees C with a small metal tin of water on the bottom floor.
9
Dust the top of the loaf with rye flour and score a shallow cross with a sharp knife.
10
Bake for thirty-five to forty minutes until the crust is dark and the base sounds hollow when tapped.
11
Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

Chef's tips

Rye dough contains very little gluten and remains naturally sticky; avoid the temptation to add extra flour. Always allow the bread to cool for at least four hours or overnight before slicing, as cutting warm rye creates a gummy texture.

Ingredient substitutions

fresh yeast → 4g fast-action dried yeast stirred directly into the dry flour
fennel seeds → an equal weight of caraway seeds or cumin seeds

Storage

Store the loaf wrapped in a clean linen cloth in a cool, dry place for up to a week.

Reheating

Slice thinly and toast under a hot grill for two minutes until crisp.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Slicing the bread while warm, which compresses the crumb and ruins the texture.
•Over-kneading the dough, which breaks down delicate rye gluten structures.
•Baking without moisture in the oven, leading to a hard, pale crust rather than a crisp shell.

Serving suggestions

Slice thinly and serve with mature Fontina cheese and cured ham.Toast and spread with salted alpine butter and chestnut honey.Cube and dry for traditional Valdostan cabbage and fontina bread soup.