Vinschger Paarl

Name: Vinschger Paarl
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Alpine Italian
Ingredients: 300 g dark rye flour; 200 g strong white bread flour; 7 g Active dry yeast; 380 ml lukewarm water; 10 g Fine sea salt; 6 g fennel seeds; 4 g Caraway seeds; 3 g blue fenugreek powder

Vinschger Paarl, known as coppie venostane in Italian, are rustic South Tyrolean rye flatbreads seasoned with alpine herbs and baked joined in distinctive pairs.

🇮🇹Italy· Trentino-Alto Adige

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 25 min
Total: 55 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 210 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

300 g dark rye flour — type 1150 or whole rye
200 g strong white bread flour — unbleached wheat flour
7 g Active dry yeast — one standard sachet
380 ml lukewarm water — around 35 degrees C
10 g Fine sea salt — unrefined
6 g fennel seeds — lightly crushed
4 g Caraway seeds — lightly crushed
3 g blue fenugreek powder — Brotklee / Trigonella caerulea

Equipment

•Mixing bowl
•Baking tray
•Baking parchment
•Mortar and pestle
•Kitchen scale

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 210 kcal
fat: 1 g
carbs: 42 g
fibre: 5 g
protein: 6 g
calories: 210 kcal

Instructions

1
Crush the fennel seeds and caraway seeds coarsely in a mortar.
2
Whisk the dry yeast into 100 ml of the lukewarm water with 50 g of the rye flour.
3
Leave the yeast mixture in a warm spot for 20 minutes until foamy and active.
4
Combine the remaining rye flour, white flour, crushed spices, blue fenugreek, and salt in a large bowl.
5
Add the frothy yeast sponge and the remaining lukewarm water to the flour mixture.
6
Mix with a sturdy wooden spoon for 5 minutes to form a sticky, soft dough.
7
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for 45 minutes until noticeably puffed.
8
Dust a work surface generously with rye flour and turn out the sticky dough.
9
Divide the dough into 8 equal portions using well-floured hands.
10
Shape each portion gently into a slightly flattened round without pressing out the air.
11
Place the rounds on a parchment-lined baking tray in touching pairs to form 4 twin rolls.
12
Bake at 220 degrees C for 22 to 25 minutes until deep golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped.

Chef's tips

Rye dough contains very little gluten and will remain very sticky, so do not be tempted to add extra flour. Generously dust your hands and the work surface with rye flour to shape the delicate pairs without deflating them.

Ingredient substitutions

blue fenugreek powder → ground coriander seeds combined with extra crushed fennel seeds if alpine Brotklee is unavailable
strong white bread flour → spelt flour (Dinkelmehl) for a slightly nuttier, traditional alpine crumb

Storage

Store cooled rolls in a paper bag or bread bin at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Reheating

Warm whole rolls in an oven preheated to 180 degrees C for 5 minutes to restore their crisp crust.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Over-kneading the dough, which breaks down the delicate rye starches and creates a dense, gummy roll.
•Placing the dough balls too far apart on the tray so they bake as separate buns rather than traditional twin pairs.
•Omitting the blue fenugreek, which deprives the bread of its distinct Val Venosta aroma.

Serving suggestions

Split horizontally and fill with thin slices of South Tyrolean Speck and mountain butter.Serve alongside a bowl of hot barley soup (Gerstensuppe) on a cold day.Present on a wooden board with Stelvio cheese and pickled gherkins for a classic Marend afternoon snack.