ur-paarl

This long lasting bread, baked in the form of a flattish figure eight, originated in the Monte Maria Benedictine monastery in the Alta Val Venosta near the Austrian border, and has recently made a come back, thanks to the last baker-monk, Fratel Alois Zöschg, who preserved the recipe. It's made with rye and spelt flour, fennel seeds, cumin and herbs from the mountains, and is excellent with cheese and cured meats.