Rēwena bread
Parāoa rēwena
Māori sourdough raised with a fermented potato starter — a dense, tangy, slightly sweet loaf that keeps for days.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Parāoa rēwena.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 50 min
- Rest
- 60 hr
- Total
- 61 hr 30 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Rēwena is Māori potato bread. The leaven, called the bug, is a mash of boiled potato, flour and sugar left in a warm place for two or three days until it bubbles and smells sour. That bug raises a plain flour dough slowly, giving a close, moist crumb with a mild tang and a faint sweetness from the potato. There is no commercial yeast in a proper rēwena, which is why this recipe starts two days before you bake. The loaf is traditionally round and high, baked in a camp oven or cake tin, and sliced thick for butter, golden syrup or to go with a boil-up. Keep a spoon of the bug back and feed it to bake again.
What you'll need
8 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Bug
- Dough
Ingredients
Bug
- Potato, peeled and diced1 medium
- Water250 ml
- Wheat flour, plain150 g
- Sugar9.9 ml
Dough
- Wheat flour, plain or high-grade500 g
- Salt7.4 ml
- Baking soda (optional)2½ ml
- Water, lukewarm, as needed150 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Two to three days ahead, boil the diced potato in the 250 ml water until soft. Mash it in the water and cool to lukewarm. Stir in the bug flour and sugar to a thick batter.
25 min
Step 2
Cover loosely with a cloth and leave somewhere warm, around 25°C. Stir once a day. It is ready when it is bubbly, has risen and smells sharply sour, usually 48 to 72 hours.
2880 min
Tip: A cold kitchen slows it to a crawl. On top of the fridge or in an oven with just the light on works.
Step 3
Mix the dough flour and salt in a large bowl, make a well and pour in all of the bug, holding back two tablespoons if you want to keep it going. Add enough lukewarm water to make a soft but not sticky dough and knead 10 minutes.
15 min
Step 4
Shape into a round and place in a greased 20 cm cake tin or a small lined Dutch oven. Cover and leave to rise until roughly doubled. With a wild starter this takes 4 to 8 hours.
360 min
Step 5
Heat the oven to 200°C. Bake 15 minutes, then drop to 180°C and bake 35 minutes more until deep brown and hollow-sounding underneath.
50 min200°C
Watch: The crust browns before the centre is done. If it darkens too fast, tent with foil.
Step 6
Cool on a rack at least 1 hour before slicing. Rēwena is better the next day and stays good for four or five.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 212 kcal
- Protein
- 5.8 g
- Carbs
- 44.2 g
- Fat
- 0.6 g
- Saturated fat
- 0.1 g
- Fibre
- 1.7 g
- Sugar
- 1 g
- Sodium
- 327 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Vegetarian
- Vegan
- Dairy-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.
Substitutions
Potato → Kūmara (sweet potato)
Makes a sweeter, darker bug. Also traditional in some families.
Tips
- Feed the saved bug with a spoon of mashed potato, a spoon of flour and a pinch of sugar every few days and it will keep going indefinitely in the fridge.
- If the dough feels sluggish, the half teaspoon of baking soda kneaded in just before shaping gives it a nudge. Many nans do this.
- The crumb is meant to be close and a little damp. Do not judge it by a baguette.
History & culture
Rēwena is marae food and nan's kitchen food. It turns up at hui, tangi and Sunday lunches, sold at Māori markets and a growing number of bakeries. Families have kept the same bug alive for decades and argue about whose is best. Thick slices with butter are the normal way to eat it; so is toast with golden syrup.
Potatoes and wheat flour both reached Māori communities through early 19th-century contact with Europeans. Māori growers became major potato and wheat suppliers, and a bread leavened from fermented potato followed. Rēwena means leaven. The method has stayed a home and community practice rather than a commercial one until recently.
Traditional — Some modern recipes add a little commercial yeast as insurance. This one does not. If your bug is weak, give it another day rather than cheating.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Rēwena bread take?
61 hr 30 min all in — 40 min prep, 50 min cook, 60 hr rest. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 12 slices. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Medium.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Vegan, Dairy-free.
9 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Oven, Mixing bowl, Saucepan, Dutch oven.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.
How much sugar?
2 tsp of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Potato → Kūmara (sweet potato). Makes a sweeter, darker bug. Also traditional in some families.
What should I watch for?
The crust browns before the centre is done. If it darkens too fast, tent with foil.
Any tips from this recipe?
Feed the saved bug with a spoon of mashed potato, a spoon of flour and a pinch of sugar every few days and it will keep going indefinitely in the fridge. If the dough feels sluggish, the half teaspoon of baking soda kneaded in just before shaping gives it a nudge. Many nans do this. The crumb is meant to be close and a little damp. Do not judge it by a baguette.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Two to three days ahead, boil the diced potato in the 250 ml water until soft. Mash it in the water and cool to lukewarm. Stir in the bug flour and sugar to a thick batter. Cool on a rack at least 1 hour before slicing. Rēwena is better the next day and stays good for four or five.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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