Tyrolean Bread Spice

Tyrolean bread spice, an alpine bread blend with mountain herbs and blue fenugreek

Tyrolean bread spice is the alpine bread composition from the Austrian mountains – stronger, more savoury and more herby than the Franconian counterpart. We mix it in our workshop in Klingenberg am Main around real blue fenugreek (bread clover), with coriander, fennel, caraway and alpine herbs. The profile: hay-like-aromatic from the blue fenugreek, with the sweet anise-like note of the fennel and a clear caraway note in the finish.

How to use

Work one tablespoon per 500 g of flour into farmhouse bread, rye rolls or a wholegrain loaf, especially harmonious with rye. Just as good stirred into mountain-cheese spreads or hearty strudel fillings, or scattered over freshly baked pretzels, salt sticks and cheese sticks.

Important: blue fenugreek is the aromatic heart of this blend and develops only during baking. Never overdose it for raw spreads, half a teaspoon per 250 g is enough.

Recipe: Tyrolean farmhouse loaf with mountain cheese

A hearty mixed bread in which the blue fenugreek unfolds its full aroma only in the warm dough.

Ingredients for 1 loaf (approx. 1 kg):

• 350 g rye flour 960
• 350 g wheat flour 1050
• 150 g rye sourdough
• 450 ml lukewarm water
• 14 g coarse Utah rock salt
• 2 tbsp Tyrolean bread spice
• 100 g grated mountain cheese

Method: Mix flours, bread spice and salt. Add sourdough and water, knead for 10 minutes. Work in the cheese. 90 minutes bulk proof, then stretch and fold and let rest another 60 minutes. Let it prove cold in the proofing basket for 10 to 12 hours. Start baking at 240 °C (10 minutes with steam), then reduce to 200 °C and finish baking for 45 minutes.

Why this Tyrolean? Real blue fenugreek from Austrian processing, not the cheap industrial powder. This clearly lifts the hay-like-grassy note. A dollop of Spreewald horseradish on the bread snack goes well with it.

What's in it?

Ten ingredients built around real blue fenugreek (bread clover), the hay-like-aromatic heart of the blend. Coriander seeds and coriander leaves, fennel seed and caraway bring the typical bread spice, plus the sweet anise-like note of the fennel. Hyssop, wild thyme, ajowan and a trace of fenugreek seed and milk-thistle seed round off the alpine herb blend.

At a glance

• With real blue fenugreek (bread clover) for the alpine note
• Hay-like-aromatic with coriander, fennel and caraway
• Stronger and more herby than Franconian bread spices
• Vegan and gluten-free, ideal for rye and mixed bread
• No flavour enhancers, anti-caking agents or additives

Goes well with

Direct comparison: Klingenberg bread spice for the Franconian variant. For the alpine bread snack, Spreewald horseradish or a slice of bacon with umami seasoning paste as a spread. A drizzle of walnut oil on the bread slice and a few drops of apple-quince balsamic vinegar, and the alpine snack is ready. For gingerbread bakers, our cinnamon bark. Find more in our spice blends collection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is blue fenugreek?
Bread clover, a sweet-clover plant from the Alps. Its characteristic hay-like-grassy aroma blooms in the warm bread dough.

How much per loaf?
One tablespoon per 500 g of flour is standard. For especially strong bread, one and a half tablespoons.

Does it taste bitter?
No, blue fenugreek is hay-like, not bitter. Bitterness only arises from overdosing the fenugreek-seed portion, which we have deliberately avoided.

Is it suitable for gluten-free bread?
Yes, the blend itself is gluten-free. The taste suits buckwheat, rice and corn breads.