Neuchâtel bread
Do we have official bread in Neuchâtel?
And yes, like all Swiss cantons, Neuchâtel also has its own bread!
Its history
As many enthusiasts can attest, Pain Neuchâtelois has been part of our tradition for over 100 years, well before the formation of the Association neuchâteloise des patrons boulangers-pâtissiers. Its first written record dates back to 1964. It appears in the bakery and pastry manual “Le boulanger-pâtissier suisse” published by the Richemont School.
In the 1960s, a delegation from the Association neuchâteloise des patrons boulangers-pâtissiers (Neuchâtel association of bakers and confectioners) published a recipe to be followed in order to create a cantonal bread. With the evolution of agriculture, the recipe has somewhat lost the rules laid down in 1960. Its shape, on the other hand, has never changed, and the two bonded balls can be separated at the time of purchase to suit the customer’s wishes.
At the time, Neuchâtel bread was known and consumed by everyone in our canton.
Its rebirth
Today, our bakeries offer a wide range of breads. The owner’s specialities, as well as traditional breads such as the Taillaule. Yet few bakeries still stock Pain Neuchâtelois on their shelves. In order not to lose this cantonal tradition, a working group was set up, with the support of local artisan bakers.
Working group
- Boulangerie Conrad au Landeron – Mr Jean-Pierre Conrad and Mr Damien Dubois – Initiators
- Tarterie du Littoral – Mr Nicolas Perriard – Initiator and President Boulangers neuchâtelois
- Neuchâtel Vins et Terroir – Ms Sophie Rohrer – Project coordinator
- Moulin de Valangin – Mr Gérald Tock – Milling coordinator
- CNAV – Mr. Yann Huguelit to Director – Agriculturalcoordinator
- Boulangerie Mäder – Mr Christian Maeder – Bread quality manager
its innovation
A basic recipe, made from Neuchâtel flour, governs the production of Pain Neuchâtelois. The baker then adds his personal ingredient. The latter can be of various kinds, but must be from Neuchâtel. Our aim with this project is to revive this tradition, while respecting the values of the Neuchâtel Vins et Terroir label.
Bakers have accustomed their customers to modern, more complex products that meet consumer expectations. The working group felt it was important not to restrict bakers’ imagination, and to give them the opportunity to personalize their breads and adapt them to the different seasons.
Where do you get this bread?
These bakers work with flour from Valangin Mill
- Boulangerie de la Brévine
- Boulangerie de la Gourmandise
- Tarterie du Littoral
And the recipe?
Basic ingredients
- 1/3 Bise neuchâteloise flour and 2/3 semi-white flour
- Water
- Swiss salt
- Yeast
Customization possible
| Personalization | Examples |
| Addition of a Neuchâtel cereal or grain | Rapeseed, quinoa, mustard, others… |
| Neuchâtel herb infusion for autolysis | Absinthe, linden, others… |
| Add 1 more Neuch’ateloise flour | Rouge de Bordeau, petit épeautre, others… |
Any additions must be approved by the working group beforehand.
Shape
The idea is to keep the traditional shape and flock it with the NE initials of our canton.
NVT certification (mandatory)
Participating bakeries must obtain the Neuchâtel Vins et Terroir label to produce their Neuchâtel bread. This label guarantees that at least 80% of your product’s raw materials come from the Canton of Neuchâtel.
