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Round Pusterer Breatl loaves stacked on a wooden board, one broken open to show a dense, dark rye crumb.

Pusterer Breatl: Baked South Tyrolean Rye Flatbread

A dense, spiced rye flatbread from South Tyrol's Puster Valley, mixed by hand and baked hot until the crust cracks.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: bread
Cuisine: Alpine
Calories: 480
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 300 g rye flour whole dark rye
  • 200 g bread flour or all-purpose flour
  • 350 ml warm water about 40C / 104F
  • 7 g active dry yeast one standard packet
  • 1 tbsp honey or malt syrup
  • 10 g fine sea salt
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds lightly crushed
  • 2 tsp caraway seeds lightly crushed
  • 1 tsp ground coriander optional
  • extra flour for dusting; for shaping

Method
 

  1. Stir the warm water (about 40C / 104F) with the honey and yeast in a small bowl. Let it sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy on top.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the rye flour, bread flour, salt, fennel seeds, caraway seeds, and ground coriander.
  3. Pour the yeast mixture into the flour mix and knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes, or 5 minutes in a stand mixer, until the dough is shaggy and slightly sticky. Rye dough stays tackier than wheat dough, resist adding extra flour.
  4. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 45 minutes, until visibly puffed. Rye dough won't double the way wheat dough does, look for about 1.5x growth.
  5. Punch down the dough and divide it into 4 pieces, about 220 g each.
  6. Shape each piece into a flat round about 18 to 20 cm / 7 to 8 inches across and 1 cm / 0.4 inch thick on a floured surface. Poke a hole through the center with your finger and dock the surface with a fork.
  7. Transfer the rounds to a parchment-lined 33 x 46 cm / 13 x 18 inch sheet pan. Cover loosely and rest 15 minutes while the oven heats to 220C / 430F.
  8. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until deep golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.
  9. Cool completely on a wire rack, at least 20 minutes, before slicing. Cutting it warm leaves the crumb gummy.

Notes

  • Rye dough feels stickier than wheat dough, resist adding extra flour
  • Rest shaped rounds 15 minutes before baking so they don't crack unevenly
  • Cool completely before slicing to avoid a gummy crumb
  • Crush spices lightly before mixing for stronger aroma