barley

Sourdough Rolls

February 12, 2017


12 pcs.

5 dl (500 g) cold water
5 g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
2 dl (200 g) sourdough starter
2 dl (120 g) barley flour
8 dl (500 g) wheat flour

Dissolve yeast and salt in cold water. Add sourdough starter. Gradually mix in the flours and knead the dough for 5 minutes.

Cover the bowl, place it in the fridge and let the dough sit for twelve hours.

Bring the dough to room temperature. Fold. Cover and let it rest for an hour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it lightly. Roll the dough into a rope. Cut the rope into 12 pieces. Fold each piece into a ball. Line two baking trays with parchment papers, place the rolls on them.

Cover and leave to rise.

Put a sheet pan on the bottom rack to get it hot and preheat the oven to 250°C. When you put your rolls in, throw ice cubes onto the heated sheet pan. Bake for 10–12 minutes.

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack.


barley

Fennel Bread

March 08, 2016


This recipe will give you three loaves, because they will freeze well. Or, you can give a bread or two to your friends. (A freshly baked homemade bread is one of my favorite edible gift.) A cup of tea shared with friends and a slice of Fennel Bread is a good idea too. 

 3 breads 

5 dl (180 g) rolled oats 
5 dl (280 g) barley flour 
2 tbsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
1 L (1 kg) hot water
0,5 dl (70 g) honey 
1 dl (90 g) canola oil (or other vegetable oil)
2 tsp salt
50 g fresh yeast 
about 1 L (650 g) wheat flour 

Stir rolled oats, barley flour and coarsely crushed fennel seeds together and then pour the hot water on top of the mixture. Stir until smooth and set aside to cool.

Add honey, canola oil, salt and yeast into the lukewarm porridge (the last two dissolved in a small amount of water). Gradually mix in the wheat flour and knead the dough about 10 minutes.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for about 1 hour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently. Put some dough aside for top decorations. Divide the rest of dough into three equal pieces. Shape the pieces into three long loaves and put them into oiled tins. Decorate the breads with dough leaves using water as a glue. 

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 50 minutes or so. 

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 200°C and cook for a further 40–50 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.

Eat one and freeze the others inside an airtight freezer bag.


barley

Wild Mushroom Rieska

February 10, 2016


Rieska is a traditional thin, unleavened bread made from barley or oat, sometimes with potato as additional ingredient. Because we have lots of lovely forests full of edible mushrooms here in Finland, I also put some dried mushrooms in my rieska dough. If you don't have dried mushrooms, you can use fresh ones or follow the recipe without them. 


3 – 4 pcs.

300 g potatoes
0,5 dl (0,2 cup, US) dried horn of plenty
0,5 tsp salt
50 g soft butter
2 dl (200 g) skim milk
3 dl (165 g) barley flour

Bring a pot of unsalted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm. Peel and grate the potatoes. Crush and soak the mushrooms in cold water for 20 minutes.

Stir all the ingredients together. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape it into 3 or 4 thin, round breads. Line two baking trays with parchment papers and place the rieskas on them.

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Bake for 15 minutes.

Enjoy the rieskas while still warm with a touch of butter or "munavoi" (a spread made of butter and hard boiled eggs).

barley

Mashed Potato Bread

September 22, 2015


I'm passionate about reducing food waste. Bread is a good way to use up leftover ingredients, including mashed potatoes, which are one of the most common kitchen leftovers. 

 5 dl (500 g) lukewarm water 

2,5 dl (1 cup) mashed potatoes 
1,5 tsp salt 
50 g fresh yeast 
1 dl (90 g) cooking oil 
3 dl (160 g) barley flour 
9 dl (590 g) fine, dark wheat flour (yeast bread wheat flour)
cooking oil
finger salt 

Stir the mashed potatoes, salt, yeast and cooking oil into the lukewarm water. Gradually mix in the flour. Knead the dough for about 8 minutes until smooth.

Cover and leave to rise.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently. Line a baking tray with a parchment paper and place the dough onto it. Flatten the dough with your hands. 

Cover and leave to rise.

Poke the surface randomly with your fingers. Drizzle the top with cooking oil and pat some finger salt on it. 

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 20 minutes.


barley

Barley Water Bread

September 01, 2015


My granny loved all kinds of good housewife's recipes. She would have liked this Barley Water Bread too because it helps me to use up two leftover ingredients. Nothing gets wasted in this house!

Barley water is one of our most loved summer drinks. Usually it's served with ice cubes and lemon slices to beat the summer heat. But, a batch of Barley water means some leftover barley. And, if you've ever made cheese, no doubt you know how much whey there is afterwards. No wonder I often have some leftover whey too. This bread comes to my rescue.

If you don't want to make Barley water, just boil 4 tbsp pearl barley and 5 dl water. Place the pearl barley and water in a pan. Bring the water to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Pour mixture through a sieve to separate the barley grains from the water. (You can do this the day before.) 
If you don't have whey, replace it with water.

Barley water

2 L 

4 tbsp pearl barley 
1,5 L water 
juice of 3 lemons 
3 tbsp honey 
7 dl mineral water 
ice cubes 
lemon slices 

Place the pearl barley and water in a pan. Bring the water to the boil and then simmer for 30 minutes. Pour mixture through a sieve to separate the barley grains from the Barley water. 

Add the lemon juice and honey. Stir and leave to cool. 

Add the mineral water. 

Garnish with lemon slices and ice cubes, and serve. 

Barley Water Bread

2 breads

5 dl (500 g) whey (or water)
25 g fresh yeast
the leftover pearl barley
1,5 tsp salt
2 dl (100 g) fine, light rye flour (bolted rye flour)
about (850 g) 13 dl fine, dark wheat flour (yeast bread wheat flour)
2 tbsp cooking oil 

Stir the yeast, leftover barley, salt and rye flour into the cold whey. Mix in the wheat flour. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Add the cooking oil (and flour if necessary) and keep kneading another 5 minutes or until the dough is smooth and feels bouncy and elastic.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 2 hours.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently. Divide it in half. Shape each half into a long loaf and twist. Put the breads on a parchment paper. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Preheat it the oven to 250°C. Bake for 10 minutes. Turn the temperature down to 200°C and bake for a further 20 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack. 

These breads will keep well at room temperature, but you can also freeze them.