Switzerland may not be as well-known for the quality of its bread—in comparison to chocolate and cheese, for example—but it should be. With over 200 different types of Swiss bread—delicious crusty loaves, saffron-tinted breads, flatbreads topped with cumin seeds and many more—you can always find a new one to try. As an American living in Switzerland, I especially enjoy learning about the history of individual breads, and particularly those with strong regional connections. My latest discovery is a sweet, yeasted bread roll made with raisins and lemon zest from the Swiss canton of Graubünden known as Bütschella.

I first learned about Bütschella during my stay at the historic Hotel Waldhaus Sils-Maria in Switzerland’s Engadine Valley. The expansive breakfast buffet at the hotel features many local food products. As I considered my options that morning, I came across a basket full of these enticing bread rolls with raisins, each topped with a generous sprinkle of coarse-grained sugar. The card in front of the basket identified them as “Bütschella.”

When I returned home, I started searching for more information about Bütschella. According to Patrimoine Culinaire Suisse, Bütschella has existed in Graubünden for over 400 years. It goes by multiple names and comes in various sizes, depending on where you live and how you make it. This bread is popular during holiday celebrations, like Easter and Christmas, but can also be found throughout the year. Ingredients such as white flour, butter, eggs and raisins for this bread, which seem quite common today, were once considered to be luxury items in this region of Switzerland and reserved for special occasions.

Celebrating Chalandamarz

One of these special occasions is Chalandamarz, which takes place every year on March 1st in Graubünden. Boys and girls from the towns and villages in this canton dress in traditional costumes and ring cowbells to help drive out winter and usher in the season of spring. In the streets of St. Moritz for Chalandamarz, Confiserie Hanselmann hands out Bütschella to all the children participating in this festive celebration, a tradition that has spanned four generations for this local bakery, since 1894.

Bütschella and other similar Swiss breads

The description of Bütschella from Patrimoine Culinaire Suisse compares them to the Rosinenweggen, a loaf of bread that also has raisins from the canton of Nidwalden in central Switzerland. Unlike the Bütschella, which is traditionally made with water, Rosinenweggen contains milk. In my opinion, Bütschella also resembles Taillaule, a brioche-style bread with raisins and lemon zest from the canton of Neuchâtel. Taillaule gets its name from the French verb tailler or “to cut.” Before baking, you take a scissor (or sharp knife) and make deep, horizontal cuts in the top of the dough.

Since I cannot find Bütschella in my corner of French-speaking Switzerland, I wanted to try making it at home. To develop my own recipe, I borrowed from a regional recipe for these bread rolls shared by the talented Swiss food blogger, Einfach Essen. This recipe comes from a 1964 cookbook entitled, Bewährte Kochrezepte aus Graubünden (Proven Recipes from Graubünden). I like these rolls when they are still a bit warm and slathered with butter.

How to make them:

For more information:

• Bütschella, Patrimoine Culinaire Suisse
• Schweizer Brot / Pain Suisse – National association for Swiss bread, flour and cereals.

Where to buy:

Here are two examples of bakeries in Graubünden where you will find Bütschella.

• Confiserie Hanselmann, Via Maistra 8, 7500 St. Moritz, +41 (0)81 833 38 64
• Laagers, Plazzet 22, 7503 Samedan, +41 (0)81 852 52 35

Please note: This article is part of a paid partnership with Schweizer Brot / Pain Suisse. However, as always, the thoughts and opinions expressed in this article are purely my own.

Updated: January 8, 2023