Urban agriculture

Sustainable bread production begins in the field, long before anything reaches the bakery. The farms in Vienna’s urban agriculture sector actually cultivate around 2,000 hectares of their total 4,700 hectares using organic methods – and within the city limits at that. Several varieties of grain are grown here alongside grapes for unique Viennese wines and lots of fresh vegetables. This ensures that wheat, rye and other ingredients only have to be transported a short distance to a number of bakeries in the city.

Did you know that Vienna produces more bread grain than Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg together?

Fun facts about Viennese urban agriculture

Gragger: Bread from the wood-burning oven

The wood-burning oven designed by master baker Helmut Gragger is the beating heart of the organic wood-fired bakery Gragger & Cie in Vienna’s 1st district. This allows customers to watch the baked goods being made. There are also branches in the 2nd, 4th and 7th districts. The branch in the Nordbahn district even offers gastronomy: The lunch menu includes soup, stew and salads which are served with the house-made bread. 

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Joseph Brot & Öfferl

Josef Weghaupt specializes in breads made with 100% organic ingredients and swears by traditional craftsmanship: from purely manual preparation and letting the dough rest naturally to a one-day rest on the baker’s shelf. In his “Joseph – Brot vom Pheinsten” bakery outlets, you will find classic sourdough bread as well as specialties such as organic rye-honey-lavender bread, delicious pastries, healthy Joseph snacks, delicious patisserie, organic muesli, jams, cookies and much more. The two bistros on Albertinaplatz and Landstraßer Hauptstraße leave nothing to be desired, from breakfast to lunch and dinner.

Hot steam is used in the Öfferl Steam Bakery to produce bread every day. Organic ingredients are just as much a part of the philosophy here as working the bread by hand. The stylish bakery in Wollzeile offers insights into the world of baking with its open bakery and also has a restaurant. The menu here is all about bread, from sophisticated sandwiches and hot dishes to the ingenious use of leftover bread. There are several branches all over Vienna.

The fight against food waste

The Viennese bakery chains Felzl and Ströck are pioneers when it comes to minimizing bread waste. After a long period of experimentation, Pierre Reboul, the Development Baker at Ströck, has found a way of using old bread to produce new bread. One of the ingredients of what are known as Wiederbrot, Wiederbaguette and Wiederweckerl is organic rye bread that was left over in the store the day before. The Wieder Schoko Brot, enriched with Fairtrade chocolate and apricots, is a sweet creation. Any leftover bread that has gone stale is mostly turned into animal feed. Software is used to calculate the amount of bread needed, which is determined by the day of the week, the season and even the weather.

Felzl also mixes yesterday’s leftovers into the dough for today’s baked products. Leftover croissants are transformed overnight into sweet marzipan almond croissants. Unsold bread containing nuts, pumpkin or sunflower seeds is sliced wafer-thin and baked with the residual heat in the oven to make crackers with a long shelf life. Unsold seedless loaves are crumbled and mixed with fresh sourdough. The family-run company also operates three bread vending machines in addition to its six branches. After closing time every day, any products that could not be sold during the day are put into the machine instead of being thrown away. They can be bought there at a reduced price until the next morning. The perfect solution for late-night cravings – or in anticipation of breakfast. 

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das Tho

Baker Paul Thomann is a career changer. He deliberately opted to keep unusual opening hours for his little store near the Danube Canal. His bread is made using organic ingredients and is only available at “das Tho” in the afternoons and evenings. This is Thomann’s response to the changes in his customers’ everyday lives, while also enabling him to avoid working at night – for deeply personal reasons. Any loaves left over from the previous day can be bought at a significantly reduced price. Local wines and snacks will also ensure a cozy evening. From cheese to jam to salami, Thomann has close ties with almost all the producers of the food on offer. 

Wholemeal, allergy-friendly and vegan

The best way to get a more in-depth impression of Vienna’s culinary delights is by going for a stroll through the Naschmarkt. This is where you will also find one of the two branches of the Waldherr wholemeal bakery, which offers organic products, wholemeal specialties and special allergy breads. The Gradwohl organic wholefood bakery likewise offers products for allergy sufferers as well as exclusively handmade baked goods and delicious hand-created organic chocolate. The Schwarzbrot bakery is a small wholegrain bakery that specializes in vegan bread and pastry products. The majority of the ingredients used in the breads, baguettes, apple turnovers and croissants are organic.