At Le Moline, tigelle in Bologna aren't a side or a menu option: they are our bread. We don't charge a cover, we don't serve bread, we serve tigelle. Every year we make over 105,000 of them, all by hand, one by one, at Via delle Moline 2F.
They are tigelle montanare, the ones from the Apennines between Bologna and Modena: small, round, cooked between two stone discs. Our dough is deliberately no lard and no milk, an artisanal choice that keeps them light and suitable for people who avoid those ingredients in bread.
How we make our tigelle
The tigelle that reach your table are our own: mixed, shaped and cooked in via delle Moline, every day, by one person who does only this.
Four in the morning
Every day at four in the morning, one dedicated person prepares the day's tigelle. They learned the craft from Roberto, a Bolognese master of tigelle, and repeat it every morning, by hand.
The dough
Type 00 flour and wholemeal flour, seed oil, brewer's yeast, salt and a pinch of sugar. No lard, no milk, no eggs: the dough contains no ingredient of animal origin.
One at a time
The dough is portioned and shaped by hand, one tigella at a time. Over 105,000 a year pass through our hands.
In the stone tigelliera
We cook them in an electric tigelliera with a stone base. They stay fresh for two or three days; we make them again every morning.
Filled tigelle: prices and fillings
Plain and with ragù
- • Single tigella — €1
- • Basket of tigelle — €4
- • Tigella with ragù — €4
Filled tigelle — €3.50 each
- • Prosciutto crudo
- • Mortadella
- • Finocchiona
- • Coppa
- • Pesto montanaro & Parmigiano (contains lard and pancetta — not vegetarian)
- • Friggione (vegan)
Main courses are served with 2 tigelle included. Tigelle also come with our taglieri boards: classic €19.90, cheese €14.90, maxi €29.90.
What "tigella montanara" means
The tigella comes from the Apennines, where cooking bread between two hot terracotta discs (the "tigelle" proper) was the only way to bake at home. Today the word means the bread itself. The tigella montanara is the most traditional version: small, made with a simple dough, served warm and split open to be filled.
At Le Moline we knead, roll and cook them by hand. No frozen tigelle, no pre-made products.
Frequently asked questions
What are tigelle montanare?
Small round breads from the Bolognese and Modenese Apennines, cooked between two hot discs. At Le Moline they are the bread of the trattoria: no cover, no bread, only tigelle.
Are the tigelle vegan or lactose-free?
The dough is lard-free and milk-free. Fillings vary: friggione is vegan; pesto montanaro contains lard and pancetta.
How much do tigelle cost at Le Moline?
Single €1, basket €4, filled €3.50, with ragù €4. Mains come with 2 tigelle included.
Who makes the tigelle, and when?
One dedicated person, trained by Roberto, a Bolognese master of tigelle, prepares them every morning at four. The dough is type 00 and wholemeal flour, seed oil, brewer's yeast, salt and sugar, with no ingredient of animal origin; they are cooked in an electric tigelliera with a stone base.
Tigelle are part of our traditional Bolognese cuisine, alongside tagliatelle bolognese, lasagna and tortellini.