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Giant Rolls

February 18, 2017


Usually I sweeten malt breads with syrup. This time I was going to do the same, but then I saw an overripe banana on the kitchen table. Why not use it instead of syrup? I like to reduce wasted food at home. And so, I was ready to try! The banana worked well. It sweetened the bitterness of malt, but it was impossible to taste it in the bread. 

6 pcs.

2,5 dl (250 g) water
2,5 dl (250 g) mash (leftover from brewing beer)
50 g fresh yeast
1,5 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
1 overripe banana
1 dl (50 g) oat bran
about 10 dl (650 g) wheat flour

Dissolve yeast, salt and honey in lukewarm water-mash-mix. Add the mashed banana and oat bran. Gradually mix in wheat flour and knead the dough for 10 minutes. (It's impossible to tell the exact amount of flour to use, it depends on the moisture of the mash. But, less is always better than too much.)

Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead about 3 minutes. Roll the dough into a rope. Cut the rope into 6 pieces. Shape each piece into a roll. Line two baking trays with parchment papers, place the rolls on them. 

Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 225°C. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.

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No-knead Sourdough Grain Bread

February 02, 2017



1 bread 

First day 

6 dl (600 g) boiling water 
3 dl (180 g) oat grains
3 dl (350 g) sourdough starter 

Pour hot water over the oats. Let cool till lukewarm. Add the sourdough starter. Cover with a tea towel and leave at room temperature (22–24°C) overnight. 

Second day 

the starter mix from the day before 
3 dl (180 g) cracked wheat
2 tsp salt 
3 dl (180 g) rye flour  
3 dl (200 g) wheat flour 

Blend cracked wheat, salt and the flours with the starter mix. Pour the mixture into a greased 2-liter tin. Cover with a tea towel and let rise at room temperature. (This takes several hours.) 

Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake for about one hour and 45 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.


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Oat Bread

December 15, 2016


Many food agencies worldwide, including The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), have approved health claims attributed to oat. Oat bran contains beta glucan, which has the ability to reduce cholesterol levels, decrease the elevation of blood glucose after a meal and improve digestion. 

No wonder, that the demand for oat is rising, particularly in Europe and the US. Where all oat grains come from? Where do your oat grains come from? There's a good chance that they come from Finland, which it's the second-largest exporter of oat in the world, sending about 350,000 tons abroad annually. 

Finland's cool weather, clean soil and farming practices that include fewer pesticides and fertilizers provide optimum conditions to oat farming. As a result, the excellent quality of Finnish oat make them highly attractive to oat product companies. 

Finnish bakeries offer many different sorts of oat bread that meet the needs of consumers, but a home-baked bread is always the best. This is one of my favorite recipes. 

2 breads 

8 dl (800 g) milk or water 
50 g fresh yeast 
2 tsp salt 
2 tbsp vegetable oil 
2 dl (200 g) sunflower seeds 
2 dl (70 g) rolled oats 
10 dl (550 g) dark wheat flour 
5 dl (300 g) wheat flour 

Dissolve yeast and salt into lukewarm milk or water. Add oil, sunflower seeds and rolled oats. Gradually mix in flours and knead the dough about 10 minutes. 

Don't leave to rise. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently. Divide the dough in half. Shape the pieces into two loaves and roll them in rolled oats. Line two baking trays with parchment papers and place the breads on them. 

Leave to rise at room temperature. 

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 30–40 minutes. The bread is ready if it sounds hollow, when you knock on its base. 

Let cool on a wire rack.

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Siblings

November 02, 2016


Pull-apart-rolls are called sibling rolls in Finland. So, I named these Siblings. This is an easy and quick recipe for beginners. I promise you, every sister or brother can bake these!

 You can follow the recipe or cut the yeast in half (25 g). In the latter case the rise time is longer. It gives the yeast time to work, which improves the flavor of the rolls. 

 12 pcs. 

 5 dl (500 g) water 
50 g fresh yeast 
2 tsp salt 
0,5 dl (40 g) cooking oil 
3 dl (50 g) oat bran 
10–11 dl (650-700 g) wheat flour 

Dissolve yeast and salt in lukewarm water. Stir in cooking oil and oat bran. Gradually mix in the flour and knead until smooth and elastic. 

Cover with a tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it. Roll the dough into a rope and cut it into 12 pieces. Shape each piece into a ball. Line a baking tray with a parchment paper and place the rolls closely together on it. 

Cover and let rise for 30 minutes. At the same time, preheat the oven to 225°C.

Sprinkle with cooking oil and oat bran. Bake for 20 minutes. 

Cover and let cool on a wire rack.








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45 Minute Rolls

September 27, 2016


Fresh baked rolls in just 45 minutes, start to finish? It's possible. These rolls will be on your table in a flash of an eye.

12 pcs.

5 dl (500 g) skimmed milk
50 g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp sweet pepper powder
0,5 dl (90 g) cooking oil
2 dl (70 g) rolled oats
9 dl (600 g) wheat flour

Stir the yeast into lukewarm milk. Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir.

Pour the dough onto a baking tray covered with parchment paper. Spread it to form a 25 x 35 cm rectangle. Sprinkle with rolled oats.

Cover with a tea towel and let rise for about 30 minutes. At the same time, preheat the oven to 225°C. 

Use a knife of a dough scraper and mark the bread into 12 pieces. Bake for 15 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.

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Malted Orange Rolls

September 07, 2016


In the summertime I make often cheese and home-made beer. Consequently, I have lots of whey and mash in my freezer at the moment. If you don't have them, you can replace mash with malt and hot water and whey with water (or, in this case, orange juice mixed with water). 

 20 pcs.

 2 dl (200 g) mash (leftover from brewing beer)
8 dl (800 g) whey
50 g fresh yeast
1 tbsp salt
1 orange, grated zest and juice
1 dl (140 g) Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses)
4 dl (150 g) rolled oats 
20–22 dl (1300–1400 g) wheat flour

Stir the yeast, salt, orange (zest and juice) and syrup into lukewarm whey/mash mix. Mix in the rolled oats. Keep kneading and adding wheat flour. It's impossible to tell the exact amount of wheat flour to use, it depends on the moisture of the mash and the amount of juice in the orange. But, less is always better than too much. Leave the dough as moist as you can. It's supposed to be moist and wet. 

Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 20 minutes. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Use a dough scraper to assist you and fold the dough gently couple of minutes. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into a rope. Cut each rope into 10 pieces. Shape each piece into a roll. Line 3 baking trays with parchment papers, place the rolls on them, cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 225°C. Bake for 15–20 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.


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Easy-peasy Loaf

June 02, 2016


Easy-peasy Loaf doesn't look much but the taste is phenomenal! What's more, it keeps fresh well. I love making homemade bread for my family and this plain ordinary loaf is a good reason for doing so. 

1 big loaf 

1 L (1 kg) lukewarm water 
50 g fresh yeast 
1 tbsp salt 
3 dl (100 g) rolled oats 
1 L (650 g) wheat flour 
1 L (650 g) dark wheat flour (also called yeast bread wheat flour) *

* Dark wheat flour is one of my favorite flours for baking. It contains part of the bran layer. That's why it's darker in color and contains more vitamins and minerals than regular white wheat flour. It adds flavor to basic breads and produces nice, not so fluffy texture.

Dissolve yeast and salt into lukewarm water. Add rolled oats, mix well. Gradually mix in the flours and knead the dough about 10 minutes. 

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for one hour. 

Turn the dough out onto a baking tray covered with a parchment paper. Use a dough scraper to assist you and shape it into one big loaf and put it straight into the oven. 

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 200°C and bake for a further 30 minutes. The bread is ready if it sounds hollow, when you knock on its base. 

Let cool on 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.


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Monday Bread

January 21, 2016


Sometimes it's nice to decorate an everyday bread. Even scientists have proved that food tastes better when it looks good – and the trick works on bread too.

1 bread

5 dl (500 g) cold water
1/3 package of fresh yeast (about 17 g)
1 tsp salt
about 9 dl (450 g) multigrain flour (sämpyläjauho in Finnish)
1 egg
a pinch of salt

Stir the yeast and salt into the cold water. Gradually mix in the flours. Knead the dough until it doesn't stick to your hands. It takes about 8 minutes.

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

Add a pinch of salt into one egg and whisk slightly. The salt breaks down the globs, making the egg watery and easier to spread. 

Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently. Divide the dough in half. Form one half into a round loaf and place it on the baking tray. Decorate the bread with the other half using the egg glaze as a glue. 

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 45–60 minutes. The dough has risen enough when it bounces back after the finger poke test. 

Brush the bread completely or partly with an egg. 


Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 25–35 minutes. The bread is ready if it sounds hollow, when you knock on its base. 

Cover and let cool on a wire rack.

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Angel Rolls

January 05, 2016


The secret behind super soft Angel Rolls is moist dough. The number one rule is use as little flour as possible, only just enough to hold the dough together. The softness is incredible, but the taste comes second to none. The long rising allows the flavors to shine and the rolls taste delicious.

12 pcs.

1 grated zucchini, about 7 dl (3 cups US)
25 g fresh yeast
1,5 tsp salt
2 dl (70 g) rolled oats
7 dl (700 g) cold water
16 dl (1040 g) wheat flour

Wash and grate a medium-sized zucchini. Stir the grated zucchini, yeast, salt and rolled oats into the cold water. Gradually mix in the flour and knead the dough about 5 minutes.

 Cover the bowl and put the dough in the fridge. After two hours, fold the dough gently. (Pull the side farthest from you up and towards you. Give the bowl a quarter turn and perform the same motion. Repeat this for a total of four times.) The second fold will be performed about two hours later, after which you can cover the bowl and let the dough rise overnight in the fridge.

 This is what your dough will look like in the morning. Now your faith is tested. The dough looks too wet to handle but don't add flour.


Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and sprinkle some flour on top of it. Use a dough scraper to assist you and fold the dough gently.


Cut the dough into 12 pieces. Coat each roll with flour. Line two baking trays with parchment papers and place the rolls on them.

Cover with a tea towel and let rise at room temperature for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Bake for 12–15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.

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Burning Love

November 05, 2015

Spelt Loaf by Scandinavian Bread

 This spelt bread brings me to tears. I just love it - truly, madly deeply! And hey, I'm a Finn, we don't use this kind of words lightly. I really mean every single word. The taste is incredible. 

1 large loaf

5 dl (500 g) cold water
25 g fresh yeast
1,5 tsp salt
1 dl (50 g) oat bran
1 dl (35 g) rolled spelt flakes
about 1 L (500 g) spelt flour

Stir the yeast and salt into the cold water. Mix in the oat bran and spelt flakes. Gradually add more spelt flour as you knead, but be careful to not add too much. Use the minimum amount of flour and leave the dough as wet as possible. Keep kneading until the dough is smooth and bouncy, this takes about 10 minutes.

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

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it gently. Shape the dough into a large loaf. Put the bread on a parchment paper. Sprinkle some flour on top. 

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

Put a baking tray into the oven and preheat it to 275°C. Using the parchment paper slide the bread into the hot baking tray and put the bread into the oven. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 200°C and bake for a further 20 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack.


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Monster Basil Rolls

October 12, 2015


On Mother's Day I got tiny basil seedlings, which my boy has planted into a tiny pot in daycare. The beginning was humble, but as the weeks went by the plant grew and grew until it was a huge bush. 

It's no wonder I have found ways to add basil to everything from soups to ice cream. Now it's time to harvest the last leaves. Most of the herb I'll chop, place in ice cube tray compartments, cover with cooking oil and freeze. As fresh basil leaves go well in breads, it's time to invite herbs to this week's bread dough. 

 These rolls are full of basil, parsley and chive, but my hand is light when adding salt. I can cut back on salt because the great taste comes from the herbs. 

 I replace 1 dl (65 g) wheat flour with the same amount of pea flour. It strengthens the "green" taste of the rolls, but you can use only wheat flour if you wish to do so.

 10 pcs.

 5 dl (500 g) lukewarm water

50 g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp honey
0,5 dl (45 g) cooking oil
1 dl (0,5 US cup) chive
1 dl (0,5 US cup) basil
1 dl (0,5 US cup) parsley
1 dl (40 g) rolled oats
11–12 dl (750 g) wheat flour

In a large mixing bowl, dissolve yeast, salt and honey in water. Stir in cooking oil, chopped herbs and rolled oats. Gradually mix in the flour and knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic. 

Cover with a tea towel and let rise for about 30 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead about 3–5 minutes. Roll the dough into a rope. Cut the rope into 10 pieces. Shape each piece into an oval roll. Line two baking trays with parchment papers, place the rolls on them, cover and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 225°C. With a sharp knife, make three cuts into each roll. Bake for 12–15 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack.