Bread baking like in Grandma's days

We call it 'our daily bread' for good reason. These wholesome loaves of bread used to be one of the most important staple foods on farms and every crumb was treasured. Farmers didn't use to pop to the baker's round the corner, but made bread themselves by hand. This is why nearly every farm was equipped with a large oven. From mixing the dough to the finished product, the process would take hours, even several days. At Thalhofer Hof in Latzfons, this ancient tradition is still carried on today. 
 

Back to the roots

Thalhofer Hof lies at 1,150 metres above sea level in the little mountain village of Latzfons above Klausen in the Eisack valley. Farmer Florian, together with his wife Erika and their three children, run the livestock farm and its four holiday flats. Florian's grandma used to live nearby on a small farm, where she would bake the occasional loaf of bread. Florian and Erika always looked forward to stopping by and taking some of the bread home with them. When Grandma's energies were on the wane, Florian and Erika started to nurse the idea of carrying on the baking tradition. The first loaves of bread were baked with Grandma looking on, and then with the help of the right hand movements and a trained eye, the young farmers got the hang of bread baking. Once they had learnt how to do this, however, they were missing one important requirement for putting their knowledge into practice at Thalhofer Hof: a bread oven. They created enough space for one in the basement of the farm, and Florian and Erika made a fantastic discovery in the attic. They came across the hundred-year-old breadboard that they lay their loaves of bread out on today.

From grain to bread

Once or twice a month, the oven at Thalhofer Hof is lit. This has to happen early in the morning, and a few hours are needed for the special oven bricks to absorb enough heat. As soon as the fire goes out, the remaining ash is removed and the oven is ready for baking bread. 
Florian and Erika only use natural ingredients for baking bread. Local rye and wheat flour forms the basis for the dough, and a little yeast, plain yoghurt, salt and a variety of herbs are added. A decent sprinkling of 'Brotklee' seasoning is added, along with fennel seeds, caraway and aniseed. Then it's time to roll up their sleeves and get to work on the dough. Kneading requires lots of elbow grease and is still done by hand. After that, the dough needs peace and quiet to rise. Once it has rested long enough and the yeast has done its work, the loaf shaping begins. This requires skill and know-how. The ready-shaped loaves are then carefully transferred to the hot oven and a delicious smell instantly fills the room. But there's more work to do. A total of four to five baking sessions are needed to bake all the loaves. The batches of home-made bread have to last the family for several weeks, after all.

The best part comes at the end. The crusty bread is sampled warm from the oven. With impressive results: their incredible taste makes it worth the effort. 

Then ancient art of bread baking

It is not just at Thalhofer Hof, but on lots of other farms all over South Tyrol that farm families still make a habit of baking bread today. This artisan tradition is passed down from generation to generation and means a lot more than the mere production of a food staple.

Additives? No thanks. Kneading machines? Better by hand. The grain is milled and a variety of bread seasonings are kneaded into the dough. Whether it's Pustertal farm bread or a Vinschger Paarl loaf, it all tastes great. This is living tradition on the farm.