Among the most recognizable finds are round Roman loaves divided into eight wedge-shaped sections. This style of bread is commonly known today as panis quadratus.

Although no complete Roman recipe for one of these surviving loaves has been discovered, archaeological evidence and ancient written sources allow us to create a reasonable modern interpretation.

This ancient Roman bread recipe uses whole-grain wheat flour, spelt flour, salt, water, and sourdough starter. The finished loaf is dense, flavorful, slightly tangy, and designed to resemble the segmented bread found in the cities buried by Vesuvius.

What Kind of Bread Did Ancient Romans Eat?

Bread was an important part of the Roman diet, although the type and quality varied according to wealth, location, and period.

Romans made bread from several grains, including:

• Common wheat
• Spelt
• Emmer
• Barley
• Millet
• Rye

People with more money could purchase bread made from finely sifted wheat flour. Poorer households often ate darker, coarser loaves containing more bran. Grain could also be boiled into a thick porridge called puls, which was a major Roman staple before commercial bread became widely available.

Bread was commonly eaten with foods such as cheese, olives, vegetables, fruit, fish, eggs, beans, and watered wine. However, the Roman Empire was enormous, and eating habits varied widely across regions and social classes.

What Is Panis Quadratus?

Panis quadratus is the modern name generally used for the famous round, segmented loaves associated with Pompeii and Herculaneum.

The loaves were divided by four deep lines, creating eight sections. Despite the word quadratus, meaning squared or divided into sections, the surviving loaves were round rather than square.

Archaeologists have found carbonized examples, depictions of similar bread in Roman artwork, and evidence from bakeries, mills, ovens, and other sources of large-scale bread production. A bakery traditionally called the Bakery of Modestus at Pompeii contained more than 80 carbonized loaves.

Researchers continue to debate exactly how the loaves were mixed, shaped, tied, scored, and baked. A 2023 interdisciplinary study examined Roman texts, archaeological finds, bakery equipment, plant remains, and traditional Mediterranean baking methods to reconstruct the production process.

This means that any recipe labeled “authentic panis quadratus” should really be described as an experimental reconstruction.

The Roman Bread Preserved by Mount Vesuvius

One especially famous carbonized loaf was discovered inside an oven at Herculaneum during excavations in 1930.

The British Museum later asked Italian chef Giorgio Locatelli to create a modern reconstruction for its 2013 exhibition about Pompeii and Herculaneum. The surviving loaf is often associated with a stamp bearing the name Celer, an enslaved man connected with Quintus Granius Verus.

The precise meaning of the stamp is uncertain. It may have identified the baker, the bakery, the owner, or the intended recipient of the loaf. It should not automatically be interpreted as a modern ownership label.

The eruption carbonized the bread rather than preserving it as edible food. Its shape nevertheless provides valuable evidence about Roman baking.

This particular recipe that I’m sharing with you today dates to 79 AD in ancient Rome, but it was really common across all ancient cultures. Wheat, water, and (insert whatever here) were just what people ate back then.

In AD 79, a baker prepared a loaf in the Roman city of Pompeii. He stamped it with his name — ‘Property of Celer, Slave of Q. Granius Verus’, the loaf reads — and split it into eight pieces.

When Mount Vesuvius violently erupted, it buried the city of Pompeii with virtually all its inhabitants. However, the bread was excellently preserved. Some 2,000 years later, archaeologists found it then researched work with an Italian shef named Giorgio Locatelli, to figure out the recipie.

Despite the devastation of the eruption of Pompeii, quite a few preserved loaves of bread have been found. Eighty charred loaves alone were recovered from the ovens of one baker.

Why Was Roman Bread Divided Into Eight Sections?

The top of a typical panis quadratus loaf was divided into eight wedge-like portions.

These divisions may have made the bread easier to break apart and share. They may also have helped bakers produce portions of a relatively consistent size.

The exact method used to make the divisions remains debated. Possibilities include:

• Pressing string into the dough
• Using a rod or reed
• Scoring it with a blade
• Pressing it with a specialized tool

National Geographic describes the characteristic divisions as indentations made with a string or a reed, although archaeologists continue to investigate the exact process.

For a modern recreation, deep scoring with kitchen twine or a blunt wooden tool produces the recognizable eight-section appearance.

Why Was String Tied Around Roman Bread?

Many recreations show a cord tied around the middle of the loaf, creating a narrow “waist.”

Some surviving loaves appear to have a groove around their circumference. This has often been interpreted as evidence that the dough was tied with cord before baking.

The purpose is not completely certain. The cord may have:

• Helped the loaf retain its shape
• Made it easier to carry or transport
• Helped control expansion during baking
• Created a convenient groove around the loaf
• Assisted with handling bread produced in large quantities

The tied-loaf explanation is plausible, but it should not be presented as established fact. Modern research continues to reconsider how the characteristic groove was formed.

When recreating the bread, use only clean, food-safe, undyed cotton kitchen twine. Garden twine may contain fibers, coatings, dyes, or other substances that are not suitable for baking.

Did Ancient Romans Use Yeast?

Ancient Romans did not have commercial packets of active dry yeast, but they certainly understood how to make raised bread. Wild yeasts occur naturally in flour, on fruit skins, and throughout the environment. Bakers could preserve active fermentation cultures by saving old dough from an earlier batch.

Romans also used several other forms of leaven. Pliny the Elder described millet kneaded with grape must and wheat bran mixed with must, dried, and later used to make dough rise. He also discussed methods using flour or grain preparations.

Brewing foam, comparable to barm, could also provide active yeast.

Roman bread could be either leavened or unleavened depending on the recipe. However, the plump structure of the preserved segmented loaves strongly suggests that panis quadratus was a raised bread rather than a flat, unleavened loaf.

Was Panis Quadratus a Sourdough Bread?

It is reasonable to describe a modern reconstruction as sourdough-like, but we cannot prove that every loaf used a starter identical to modern sourdough.

A sourdough starter contains wild yeast and acid-producing bacteria cultivated in flour and water. Ancient bakers could maintain a piece of fermented dough and use it to leaven the next batch.

The microbial community, flour, fermentation time, water, and baking conditions would have differed from those used by modern bakers. Roman bread therefore would not necessarily taste exactly like sourdough sold today.

For a safe and dependable home recipe, an active sourdough starter is the most practical substitute for an ancient leaven.

Ancient Roman Panis Quadratus Recipe

Important Historical Note

This is a modern experimental recipe inspired by archaeological evidence and ancient descriptions. It is not a word-for-word recipe recovered from Pompeii. The exact flour blend, hydration, starter, seasonings, fermentation time, and baking temperature used for the ancient loaves remain uncertain.

Ingredients

• 400 grams whole-wheat flour
• 400 grams whole-grain spelt flour
• 160 grams active sourdough starter at 100 percent hydration
• 460 to 520 grams lukewarm water
• 18 grams fine salt
• Extra flour for dusting
• Food-safe cotton kitchen twine

Optional Flavorings

Add one or two tablespoons total of any combination of:

• Poppy seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Fennel seeds
• Anise seeds
• Coriander seeds
• Chopped parsley

These additions are historically inspired possibilities rather than confirmed ingredients in every surviving loaf.

Equipment

• Large mixing bowl
• Digital kitchen scale
• Dough scraper or wooden spoon
• Clean kitchen towel or covered container
• Baking sheet, baking stone, or Dutch oven
• Parchment paper
• Food-safe cotton kitchen twine
• Sharp knife, lame, wooden dowel, or chopstick
• Instant-read thermometer, optional

Before You Begin

Your sourdough starter should be active and recently fed. It should expand noticeably and contain visible bubbles.

Do not attempt to create the leaven by mixing the entire loaf and leaving it at room temperature for several days. A newly mixed dough may not develop enough yeast activity to rise properly, and prolonged uncontrolled fermentation can produce poor results.

Prepare a sourdough starter several days in advance or obtain an established starter from another baker.

Step 1: Combine the Flours and Water

Place the whole-wheat flour and spelt flour in a large mixing bowl. If you don’t have a means to get it at your local grocery store, you can get it at Amazon.

Add about 450 grams of the water and mix until no large patches of dry flour remain. The dough should feel firm but fully hydrated.

Cover the bowl and allow the mixture to rest for 30 to 45 minutes.

This resting period allows the flour to absorb water before the starter and salt are incorporated.

Step 2: Add the Starter and Salt

Add the active sourdough starter and salt.

Mix thoroughly by squeezing, folding, and kneading the dough until the starter and salt are evenly distributed.

Add more water gradually if the dough feels excessively dry. Whole-grain flour varies in absorbency, so the exact amount will differ.

The dough should be sturdy enough to hold a round shape. It should not be as wet or loose as modern artisan bread dough.

Step 3: Add Optional Seeds or Herbs

Fold in the seeds or herbs, reserving a small amount for the top if desired.

Knead only until they are distributed evenly. Spelt contains a more delicate gluten structure than common bread wheat, so excessive kneading can cause the dough to weaken.

Step 4: Begin the First Fermentation

Cover the bowl and leave the dough at room temperature.

During the first two hours, stretch and fold the dough approximately every 30 minutes. To do this, lift one side of the dough, stretch it gently, and fold it over the center. Rotate the bowl and repeat.

After the final fold, leave the dough covered until it has expanded by approximately 30 to 50 percent.

Depending on the temperature and strength of your starter, the complete first fermentation may take four to eight hours.

Whole-grain dough may not double in size.

Step 5: Refrigerate Overnight

For stronger flavor and easier shaping, refrigerate the covered dough overnight for approximately eight to 14 hours.

This step is a modern baking convenience. We do not know whether the excavated Roman loaf underwent cold fermentation.

You can skip refrigeration and shape the loaf after the first fermentation, but the flavor may be milder.

Step 6: Shape the Loaf

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface.

Shape it into a tight round loaf, also called a boule. Place the smooth side upward and flatten it slightly.

The finished shape should be broad and round rather than tall and sharply domed.

Place the loaf on parchment paper or a floured baking surface.

Step 7: Create the Waist

Cut a piece of food-safe cotton kitchen twine long enough to fit around the loaf.

Tie it gently around the circumference, approximately halfway between the base and top. It should create a visible groove without cutting deeply through the dough.

Do not use plastic string, synthetic cord, colored craft string, or garden twine.

Leaving string on bread in a hot oven may present a burning risk. Use only food-safe cotton twine, keep it away from heating elements, and monitor the oven. As a safer alternative, form the groove with a blunt tool and bake the loaf without string.

Step 8: Proof the Bread

Cover the shaped loaf loosely and allow it to rest at room temperature for one to three hours.

It is ready when it looks slightly expanded and a gently pressed indentation returns slowly.

Do not wait for it to double. Overproofed spelt dough may collapse during scoring or baking.

Step 9: Divide It Into Eight Sections

Lightly dust the top of the loaf with flour.

Make four deep intersecting indentations across the top, creating eight wedge-shaped sections.

For the segmented Roman appearance, use a clean length of kitchen twine, wooden dowel, chopstick, or the blunt edge of a dough scraper. Press deeply without cutting all the way through the loaf.

Make a small hole in the center where the lines meet if desired. Some surviving and reconstructed loaves display a central depression.

Step 10: Bake the Bread

Preheat the oven to 400°F, or approximately 205°C. Bake the loaf for 45 to 60 minutes. A thick loaf may require additional time.

If the crust darkens too quickly, loosely cover the bread with foil during the final portion of baking.

The loaf is done when:

• The crust is deeply browned
• The bottom sounds hollow when tapped
• The center reaches approximately 200°F to 205°F, or 93°C to 96°C

Whole-grain bread needs enough time to bake fully through the center.

Step 11: Cool Completely

Remove the bread from the oven. Carefully remove the twine once it is cool enough to handle. Check the crust to ensure no fibers remain.

Place the loaf on a wire rack and allow it to cool for at least two hours before cutting or pulling it apart.

Whole-grain bread continues setting as it cools. Cutting too soon can make the interior appear wet or gummy.

What Does Ancient Roman Bread Taste Like?

A modern panis quadratus reconstruction tastes very different from soft supermarket sandwich bread.

Expect:

• A firm, chewy crust
• A dense but aerated interior
• A mildly sour flavor
• Nutty and earthy notes
• A stronger grain flavor than white bread
• Additional sweetness or spice if seeds are included

Whole-wheat and spelt flour contain the bran and germ of the grain, giving the bread a more robust flavor and coarser texture.

The loaf is especially good with goat cheese, olives, honey, dates, olive oil, bean dishes, or fresh herbs.

Watered wine was commonly consumed in the Roman world, although serving practices varied by time, place, and social setting.

Did All Romans Eat Coarse Whole-Grain Bread?

No. Roman bread existed in many grades. Some bread was made from finely sifted white flour, while less expensive varieties retained more bran and other parts of the grain.

Wealthy consumers could afford softer and more refined bread. Poorer Romans, soldiers, laborers, and rural families often ate coarser grain products, but there was no single loaf eaten by everyone across the empire.

The preserved panis quadratus form tells us about the loaf’s shape. It does not automatically reveal the exact flour quality used in every example.

Was Spelt Used in Ancient Roman Bread?

Spelt was known in the ancient Mediterranean, as were emmer and several other wheat varieties.

However, modern flour names do not always correspond perfectly with ancient grain classifications. A home recipe combining whole wheat and spelled produces an appropriately robust loaf, but it cannot replicate the specific grain, milling method, or flour extraction rate used by a Roman bakery.

Ancient stone milling also produced flour with a different texture from most modern commercially milled flour.

Is Wholemeal Flour the Same as Whole-Wheat Flour?

The terminology varies by country.

In most recipes:

• Wholemeal flour is the common British term
• Whole-wheat flour is the common American term
• Whole-grain wheat flour is another broadly equivalent description

These flours contain the bran, germ, and endosperm of the wheat kernel.

They are not the same as white all-purpose flour, from which much of the bran and germ has been removed.

Can You Make This Recipe Without Sourdough Starter?

You can make a modern shortcut with commercial yeast, although it will be less historically inspired.

Replace the sourdough starter with:

• 7 grams active dry yeast
• An additional 80 grams flour
• An additional 80 grams water

Mix and ferment the dough until visibly expanded, then continue with shaping and baking.

Do not call the resulting bread an exact Roman recipe. It is a modern loaf made in the style of panis quadratus.

Can You Make It Completely Unleavened?

You can make an unleavened Roman-inspired flatbread, but it will not resemble the large, plump, segmented loaves found at Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Without active yeast or sourdough culture, a thick loaf will not develop the same internal structure. It may remain heavy, compact, and difficult to bake through.

The famous archaeological loaves should not be described simply as “no-yeast bread.”

How Long Has Bread Existed?

Bread-like foods are much older than Rome.

Archaeological evidence from northeastern Jordan has revealed charred flatbread remains made by hunter-gatherers approximately 14,400 years ago. These finds predate the widespread development of agriculture.

By the Roman period, bread production had become a sophisticated commercial industry. Cities such as Pompeii contained mills, kneading facilities, ovens, bakeries, and shops capable of feeding large urban populations.

What the Pompeii Loaves Can and Cannot Tell Us

The carbonized bread preserved by Vesuvius provides evidence about:

• The general size and shape of Roman loaves
• Their eight-part segmentation
• Their central depressions
• Circumferential grooves
• Baker or ownership stamps
• Commercial production
• Roman bakery organization

The loaves cannot provide a complete modern-style recipe.

We do not know with certainty:

• The exact grain blend
• The flour extraction rate
• The precise starter culture
• The hydration percentage
• The fermentation duration
• Whether all loaves contained herbs or seeds
• Exactly how the groove and sections were formed
• The original baking temperature and time

A responsible reconstruction should make these uncertainties clear.

The best-known ancient Roman bread was not a crude mixture of flour and water left to dry on a hot stone.

Roman bakers operated mills and commercial ovens, maintained leavening cultures, produced multiple grades of flour, stamped loaves, and shaped bread into distinctive forms.

The carbonized loaves from Pompeii and Herculaneum offer an extraordinary connection to daily life in AD 79. Although their exact recipe has been lost, a whole-grain sourdough loaf can give modern bakers a reasonable impression of the flavor, texture, and appearance of Roman bread.

It will not be identical to the bread made two thousand years ago, but it may be as close as most of us can come to sharing a meal with the Romans.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was ancient Roman bread called?

The Romans used different names for different breads. The famous round loaf divided into eight sections is commonly called panis quadratus.

Was Roman bread sourdough?

Many Roman breads were naturally leavened using fermented dough or other wild-yeast preparations. They were broadly sourdough-like, although their microbial cultures were not necessarily identical to modern starters.

Was panis quadratus unleavened?

Probably not. Its raised, rounded form suggests a fermented and leavened dough.

Why did Roman bread have lines on top?

Four intersecting lines divided the loaf into eight sections, possibly making it easier to portion and share.

Why was string tied around Roman bread?

The groove may have been made with string to control the loaf’s shape or assist with handling. Its exact function and production method remain debated.

What flour did Romans use?

Romans used wheat, emmer, spelt, barley, millet, and other grains. Flour ranged from coarse whole-grain meal to more finely sifted white flour.

Can I use regular yeast in this recipe?

Yes. Commercial yeast provides a simpler modern version, although sourdough starter is a closer approximation of ancient fermentation.

Where were the preserved Roman loaves found?

Carbonized segmented loaves have been found in the Vesuvian cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum, which were buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79.