no-yeast

Turku Sourdough

April 26, 2017


This bread reminded me why I love to develop bread recipes. I like the magic of the process, which sometimes gives me The Best Bread in the Whole Universe. This bread, which I lovingly named after my home town, is one of those moments.

2 breads

First day

5 dl (500 g) water
5 dl (300 g) rye flour
2 dl (200 g) sourdough starter
1 tbsp honey

Mix together all the ingredients. Cover with a tea towel and leave to sit at room temperature until you see lots of bubbles, it takes a day or two.


2 dl (1 cup US) wheat berries
water

Cover wheat berries with water and leave the bowl on a table overnight. If the pre-dough isn't ready the next day, put the berries in the refrigerator until you'll use them. 

Second or third day

pre-dough
soaked wheat berries (at room temperature)
5 dl (500 g) lukewarm buttermilk
1 tbsp salt
2 dl (1 cup US) sunflower seeds
3 tbsp honey
2 dl (120 g) graham flour
14 dl (750 g) rye flour

Stir the wheat berries, buttermilk, salt, sunflower seeds, honey and graham flour into the pre-dough. Gradually knead in the rye flour and keep kneading the dough about 10 minutes.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 2 hours. Divide the sticky dough into two bread tins. Cover and leave to rise. 

Preheat the oven to 175°C and bake for 2 hours. Take the breads out of the tins and bake another 10 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack. When cooled, wrap the breads tightly and store in a cool place until the next day. Cut into thin slices and serve with butter.

Store in a cool place where Turku Sourdough will keep several days. Storing the bread in the freezer is a good solution too. 


sourdough

Aniseed Bread

February 25, 2017


Aniseed Bread is a kind of sourdough bread for those, who don't have time to bake with sourdough starter in the traditional way. This makes a really good toast too.

1 bread

3 dl (300 g) lukewarm water
3 tbsp honey 
1,5 tsp salt
3,5 dl (400 g) sourdough starter
0,5 dl (50 g) vegetable oil
1 package dry yeast
1 tbsp aniseed
about 10 dl (600 g) wheat flour

Dissolve honey and salt in lukewarm water. Add sourdough starter and vegetable oil. In a large bowl, combine aniseed, dry yeast and 5 dl flour. Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir. Gradually mix in the rest of flours and knead the dough for about 8 minutes. 

Cover and leave to rise for an hour.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it lightly. Shape the dough into a loaf and put it into an oiled tin. 

Cover and leave to rise for an hour. 

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 30 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.

oat

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.


tin

Breakfast Bread

January 18, 2017


This is a lovely bread for breakfast and also a perfect match with Scandinavian-style mushroom salad.

The recipe is very versatile. You can replace milk with water and walnut oil with ordinary cooking oil. You can also use any kind of nuts. 

1 bread 

4 dl (400 g) milk 
1 dl (80 g) dried peas, crushed 
30 g fresh yeast 
1 tsp salt 
1 tbsp honey 
0,5 dl (50 g) walnut oil 
1 dl (60 g) walnuts, chopped 
0,5 dl (30 g) sesame seeds 
8 dl (520 g) wheat flour 

Boil up the milk and pour it over the crushed peas. Let cool. Stir the yeast, salt and honey into the lukewarm milk mix. Add oil, nuts and sesame seeds. Gradually mix in the wheat flour and knead the dough for 8–10 minutes. 

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for about 30 minutes. 

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it. Shape the dough into a loaf and put it into an oiled tin. 

Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Bake for 50–60 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.


malt

Top 3 Christmas Breads

December 09, 2016

Islander Bread


Almost every baker here in Finland knows this classic recipe, because Islander Bread is The Christmas Bread here in Turku and all over Finland. Everyone must have a loaf or two waiting for the dinner on Christmas Eve.

Islander Bread is a perfect match with smoked ham, fish, home-made fresh cheese or gouda. Or, why not to try it with blueberry jam and goat cheese?


Christmas Bread


This festive rye bread combines all the best parts of Christmas, almonds, dates and dark chocolate. How could you resist it? What's more, you can bake this bread with sourdough starter or with yeast.


Finnish Christmas Loaf


I bake Islander Bread for Christmas, but my family likes traditional Finnish Christmas Loaf too. So, I have a habit of baking the latter in November. This is a lovely bread as such, but also a delicious toast for breakfast.

rye

Finnish Christmas Loaf

November 16, 2016


















I bake Islander Bread for Christmas, but my family likes traditional Finnish Christmas Loaf too. So, I have a habit of baking the latter in November. This is a lovely bread as such, but also a delicious toast for breakfast. 

1 bread

3 dl (300 g) buttermilk
25 g fresh yeast
0,5 dl Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Seville orange peel powder (bitter orange peel powder)
2 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
3 dl (170 g) rye flour
3,5 dl (220 g) wheat flour
For the glaze:
syrup water (half and half)

Stir the yeast, syrup and salt into the lukewarm buttermilk. Add spices and rye flour. Gradually mix in the wheat flour and knead the dough for 6–8 minutes.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for about 40 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it. Shape the dough into a loaf and put it into an oiled tin.

Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for an hour or so. Brush with syrup water after 40 minutes and the second time 10 minutes later.

Take the loaf out of the tin, cover and let cool on a wire rack.

leftover

Lingonberry Bread

September 21, 2016


Approximately 500 million kg of berries grow in Finland’s forests every year. Despite urbanization, the tradition of picking wild berries is a common autumn occupation for more than half of Finns, irrespective of their age or socioeconomic status. 

 I love to walk in the woods with my little boy and return home with blueberries, lingonberries, raspberries, cloudberries and mushrooms. I usually put them in freezer boxes and freeze them. 

One thing is for sure, autumn is not an autumn without refreshing lingonberry juice. Luckily, we have forests full of lingonberries, the red gold of the Nordic forests, this year. It was easy to pick 3 kg of berries and it was a blessing I didn't have to put them into the freezer, it was full in September.

The sieved juice leaves some lingonberry pulp behind. I add the pulp to bread doughs, smoothies or porridges within 24 hours or freeze it for use in later. 

If you don't make the juice, substitute the leftover berry mash with mashed lingonberries. The pulp is not as dry as the sieved mash from the juice, but the recipe will still work just fine. 

Lingonberry juice


about 4 L (17 cups, US) 
3 kg lingonberries 
1,5 kg water 
1 tbsp tartaric acid 
400–450 g sugar per 1 kg juice 

Clean, rinse and mash the lingonberries. Add the water. Stir. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight. 

Sieve and measure the juice. (Put the mashed lingonberries aside for further use.) Add tartaric acid and sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. 

Bottle in clean bottles. Serve cold with water or mineral water. The juice will last for up to 4 months in a cool, dark place like your pantry or the refrigerator. 

Lingonberry bread


2 breads 

5 dl (500 g) water 
50 g fresh yeast 
1,5 tsp salt 
1 dl (140 g) Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses) 
3 dl (1,2 cup, US) lingonberry mash (leftover juice lingonberries) 
2 dl (70 g) rye flakes 
50 g melted butter 17 dl (1100 g) wheat flour

Stir the yeast, salt and syrup into lukewarm water. Add lingonberry mash, rye flakes, melted butter and wheat flour. knead the dough for 8–10 minutes. 

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

Pour the mixture into the prepared 2-liter baking tin and level the surface. Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 50–60 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.


no-yeast

Raw Liquorice Rye Bread

September 14, 2016



















Raw Liquorice Rye Bread has a pleasantly bitter taste. The bitterness is obvious on the first day. Later the taste gets more balanced and rounded.

1 bread

4 dl (400 g) lukewarm water
1 dl (100 g) sourdough starter
3 tbsp molasses
0,25 tsp raw liquorice powder
1 tsp salt
2 dl (1 cup, US) salad seed mix (sunflower and pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, dried cranberries)
5 dl (300 g) rye flour 
5 dl (300 g) wheat flour

Blend lukewarm water, sourdough starter, molasses, raw liquorice powder and salt. Add salad seed mix, 5 dl of the rye flour and the wheat flour. Knead for 5 minutes.

Cover and let rise for 12–14 hours at room temperature.

Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface and shape it into a loaf. Put the bread into an oiled bread tin.

Cover and let rise.
Preheat the oven to 250°C. Bake for 5 minutes, turn the temperature down to 200°C and cook for a further 40 minutes.

 Slide from the tin and let cool on a wire rack. When cooled, wrap the bread and store at room temperature overnight. You don't have to hurry, the bread stores well and only gets better with time.

Spread cream cheese on a slice of bread and put cucumber slices on it. Enjoy!

sourdough

Saturday Bread

August 24, 2016


I make Saturday Bread on the days I want to enjoy the process of baking. I knead the dough by hand and nurse the dough for several hours. Baking makes me happy!

 1 bread

50 g sourdough starter
3 dl (300 g) lukewarm water
0,75 tsp salt
2 tsp honey
6 dl (400 g) wheat flour

Blend lukewarm water, salt and honey with the starter dough. Add 5 dl of the flour and knead for 5 minutes. Add the remaining flour and knead the dough for another 5 minutes. 

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

Fold the dough. Cover and let rise for half an hour. Fold. Cover and let rise for 4 hours.

Line a 20 x 20 -cm bread tin with a parchment paper. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, shape it gently into a round bread and put it into a tin.

Cover and let rise for 3 hours at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 250°C. Bake for 15 minutes, turn the temperature down to 200°C and cook for a further 15 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack.

tin

No-knead Walnut Pot Bread

August 12, 2016

This bread is incredibly easy to make and requires no kneading with your hands. The secret of the recipe is a hot cast iron pot with a lid, which ensures that moisture is held in the bread. 

 This recipe is one of my favorites, because the nutty bread is a perfect pair with the Norman white mould cheese I have loved for years. 

1 bread 

7,5 dl (500 g) wheat flour 
1,5 tsp salt 
2 dl (120 g) walnuts 
3 dried figs 
a pea-sized amount of fresh yeast 
3,5 dl (350 g) water 

Coarsely crush the walnuts and cut the dried figs into raisin-sized pieces. 

Stir together the ingredients. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for 12–24 hours. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface and shape it into a loaf. Put the bread into an oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Place a lidded cast iron pot in the cold oven and preheat it to 225°C. Remove the lid and flip the risen dough into the hot pot. Place the lid back on top and put the pot back into the oven. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid, and bake for a further 15 minutes. 

Let cool on a wire rack. Enjoy!

rye

Finnish Soda Bread

August 03, 2016














Unexpected visitors! Finnish Soda Bread comes to my rescue. It's at its best straight from the oven with a slice of butter and Emmental cheese on the top.

1 bread

3,5 dl (200 g) rye flour
3,5 dl (200 g) wheat flour
1,5 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
4 dl (400 g) buttermilk
0,5 dl (70 g) Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses)
0,5 dl (60 g) lingonberry jam
1 dl (60 g) lingonberries 
Butter and rolled rye flakes for greasing the baking tin

Combine flour mix, salt and baking soda. Stir in buttermilkl, syrup, lingonberry jam and lingonberries. Pour the mixture into the prepared 2-liter baking tin and level the surface.

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Bake for 70 minutes.

rye

Wild Rye Bread

July 20, 2016


Well, I think that the photo above tells it all. You know why the recipe of the week is called Wild Rye Bread. It was rainy but warm day and my sourdough decided to hop out of the tin. This kind of things happen when you are baking with sourdough. It's never boring!

The mess looked bad, but it was easily cleared up. I scraped off the excess dough and put it into muffin cups, kept the rest of the dough up with a foil and baked it all. I took the muffin cups out of the oven earlier. They were tasting bites. The loaf came out later and it was just fine too. 

The photo below proves that in the end I had a chance to eat my favorite rye bread. It's moist and dense, really sour and earthy in flavor. I could eat this every day!


1 large loaf

1 dl (100 g) sourdough starter
1,5 dl (100 g) coarse rye flour
1,5 dl (150 g) lukewarm water

Combine the ingredients in a baking bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave at room temperature for 8–10 hours.

Add:
5 dl (500 g) lukewarm water
8 dl (420 g) coarse rye flour

Cover with a tea towel and leave at room temperature for 38–40 hours. The dough gets the sour, earthy flavor during these couple of days. Don't be hasty and bake the bread before its due time! Let time work for you.

Add:
4 dl (260 g) wheat flour
2 tsp salt
1,5 tbsp caraway seeds
1,5 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

Pour the wet mixture into a greased tin. Cover and let rise for about 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes. Take the bred out of the tin and bake for a further 15 minutes. 

Wrap the bread in a tea towel and let cool. When cooled, put the bread in a plastic bag and serve it the next day. 

Enjoy! 

tin

Blueberry Wreath

June 22, 2016


This must be the best recipe I have made for decades! I'm so proud of it!

 Not only the taste is marvelous, but Blueberry Wreath is also healthy. There is not much oil used and some fresh jam with only little sugar in it is the best choice for this recipe (max. 47 % sugar / 100 g jam). This is a perfect choice if you are on a diet, but still want something sweet and delicious on your plate. 

 If you want this to be even lighter, fresh or frozen blueberries can be used as an alternative to jam. My Finnish readers have told me that the result is delicious. 

 3 dl (300 g) skimmed milk
25 g fresh yeast
2 tbsp sugar
0,5 tsp salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil (not olive oil)
6,5 dl (420 g) wheat flour
Filling:
100 g cream cheese
200 g blueberry jam
Glaze:
1 egg
pinch of salt

Stir the yeast, sugar and salt into the lukewarm milk. Add oil. 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 it gently. Roll the dough to an 1/2-inch thick, 14 x 18 inch rectangle. Spread the cream cheese and the jam on the top. Starting at the wide ends, roll up the dough and cut into 9 pieces. Place the pieces in an oiled cake tin.


Cover and let rise 30–40 minutes.

Add a pinch of salt into the egg and whisk slightly. (The salt breaks down the globs, making the egg watery and easier to spread.) Brush with a beaten egg. 

Preheat the oven to 225°C. Bake for 30 minutes. If the top seems to brown too quickly, cover with a piece of foil.

If you want, you can bake 12 rolls in paper cases instead of one bread. Preheat the oven to 225°C and bake only for 15–20 minutes.


Enjoy! 


I had to be quick to take the photos. This was eaten in no time. "So fluffy!" my mother said –and took the third piece. 

rye

Seville Orange & Caraway Bread

May 25, 2016


Finland is a great power, a great power of caraway seeds. Finnish farmers grow almost one third of the world's caraway production. The crop is mainly exported to Europe, USA and India. It's easy to cultivate caraway in northern latitudes. And what's more, long hours of sunlight in the summer and cool growing season ensure fruits that contain higher levels of essential oils and taste than those produced in other main growing areas.

Caraway arrived in Finland early and it was most commonly used in the kitchen in the west of Finland and was almost unknown in the east of the country. It's a strong tradition here in Southwest Finland to put caraway seeds to bread dough. It's no wonder I like the aroma too. That's why there are lots of caraway seeds in this recipe. If you don't like them, 3 tbsp is enough. Or, just leave the seeds out and the lovely taste of Seville orange stands out. 

 By the way, the dough is very heavy. Use a food processor to mix and knead it.

2 breads

First day

5 dl (275 g) rye flour
1 tbsp Seville orange peel powder (bitter orange peel powder)
5 dl (500 g) boiling water

Combine rye flour, Seville orange peel powder and boiling water in a mixing bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave at room temperature overnight.

Second day

5 dl (500 g) lukewarm water
50 g fresh yeast
1 tbsp salt
the starter dough from the evening before
10 dl (550 g) rye flour
6 tbsp caraway seeds
1,5 dl (210 g) Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses)
3 dl (170 g) rye flour
7-8 dl (450 - 500 g) wheat flour

Dissolve yeast and salt in the lukewarm water. Mix in the starter dough. Gradually mix in 10 dl rye flour and knead the dough about 8 minutes. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 4 hours. 

Knead in the seeds, syrup and the rest of the flour. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes. 

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it. Divide the dough into two equal pieces, shape the pieces into two long loaves and put them into two oiled bread tins.


Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for about one hour on the lower rack of the oven.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Use a spray bottle and mist the breads lightly with water and wrap the breads in a tea towel. When totally cooled, wrap the breads tightly in a plastic bag and let set 1–2 days before you slice them.

malt

Lazy Baker's Breads

May 01, 2016

No time or energy to bake homemade bread? Don't worry! These recipes come to your rescue. Stir the ingredients together and pour the mixture into a tin. Time and the oven take care of the rest.

Malt Loaf


Malt Loaf with a touch of butter and a slice of mild cream cheese is a worldly heaven. In a summerly sandwich the bread is paired with fresh cheese, iceberg salad and cucumber. In winter it's a good companion to ripe pears and mild Brie. Malt Loaf is also a perfect bread for a tuna lunch box sandwich. 

Clay Pot Bread

If you have a clay pot, now it's time to put it into use. This delicious bread is one of my favorites, not least because it will only take minutes to make it ready for the oven. 

 The bread has strong flavor and dense consistency, which make it perfect base for irresistible party bites. It's easy to slice the bread and then cut the shapes out of the bread e.g. with a flower cookie cutter.

If you love peas like me, make a pea spread on the pea bread. Too much? Not at all!

Pea Spread
Put 200 g peas, 400 g cream cheese, small amount of milk, lemon juice, black pepper an salt into a food processor and mix until smooth. You can also add mint leaves, oregano or a garlic clove into the spread if you want to. 

You have to mix the starter dough the day before baking, but otherwise this is quick and an easy-to-make bread. What's more, this bread is perfect for one-person households, because it is at its best when it has been kept in the fridge where it stays good for several days.

This recipe was invented by accident, when I was longing for freshly baked bread for my evening tea and realized that I have extremely little yeast and flour at home. I was too lazy to grocery shopping. I use what I had and the laziness was abundantly rewarded. This irresistible chewy bread has been one of my favourites right from the first bite.

malt

Hearty Rye Bread

April 28, 2016


Hearty Rye Bread is a great bread for seed lovers and so simple to make! The sticky dough is packed with seeds and therefore the bread is heavy and dense. Just the way I like it! 

 2 breads

First day

1 dl (100 g) sourdough starter
3 dl (300 g) lukewarm water
3 dl rye flour

Combine the starter, water and flour in a mixing bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave at room temperature (22–24°C) overnight.

Second day

2,5 dl (250 g) whole spelt grains
water
2 dl (200 g) lukewarm water
0,5 dl (70 g) honey
2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant coffee granules
2 tbsp malt extract 
1 dl (65 g) linseeds (flaxseeds)
2 dl (200 g) sunflower seeds
2 dl (130 g) wheat flour
4 dl (220 g) rye flour

Put the spelt grains in a pan with water, bring it to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Pour out the water. Set aside to cool.

 Stir 2 dl lukewarm water, honey, salt, instant coffee granules, malt extract, seeds and spelt grains into the starter dough. Mix in 2 dl wheat flour. Stir briskly for 5 minutes. Add the rye flour and stir the sticky dough another 5 minutes. 

Cover the bowl and set in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 3 to 5 hours.

Pour the wet mixture into two greased 2-liter tins. Cover and let rise for about 1 hour 30 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes. 

Take the breads out of the oven, but leave them in the tins for 10 minutes. Remove the breads from the tins and let cool on a wire rack. When cooled, wrap the breads tightly and leave at room temperature overnight until you slice them. 

Hearty Rye Bread stores well. You can also freeze it.

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.


leftover

Mash Rye Bread

February 17, 2016


The dough of Mash Rye Bread is sticky. Let your mixer do the hard work if possible.

2 breads

First day, evening 

1 dl (100 g) sourdough starter
2 dl (200 g) lukewarm water
2 dl (110 g) rye flour
Combine the starter, water and flour in a mixing bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave at room temperature overnight.

Second day

2,5 dl (250 g) lukewarm mash
0,5 dl (50 g) lukewarm water
1 dl (140 g) Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses)
2 tsp salt
3 dl (200 g) wheat flour
1 dl (0,5 cup, US) dates, chopped into raisin-sized pieces
3 dl (160 g) fine, light rye flour (bolted rye flour, sieved rye flour)
4 dl (220 g) rye flour

Stir the mash, water, syrup and salt into the starter dough. Gradually mix in the flours. Add the dates. Knead the dough for 8–10 minutes.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature until doubled in size. This takes about 4 hours.

 I like dense bread and this is why I totally "destroy" the bread at this point. I turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it. Then I divide the dough into two equal pieces, shape the pieces into two long loaves and put them into two oiled bread tins. I preheat the oven and let the breads rise only the time the oven is warming up, only 20 minutes or so.

 If you like fluffy breads, don't knead the dough. Divide the dough gently into two equal pieces, shape the pieces into two long loaves and put them into two oiled bread tins. Cover and leave to rise for two hours.

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

Cover and let cool on a wire rack. When cooled, wrap the breads tightly and serve them the next day.

 The bread stores well at room temperature and after couple of days it's perfect for toasting.

malt

Islander Bread

December 21, 2015


Bread recipes on this blog are usually my own. But, the exception confirms the rule. I simply must publish this classic recipe which almost every baker here in Finland knows, because Islander Bread is The Christmas Bread here in Turku and all over Finland. Everyone must have a loaf or two waiting for the dinner on Christmas Eve.

 Islander Bread is a perfect match with smoked ham, fish, home-made fresh cheese or gouda. Or, why not to try it with blueberry jam and goat cheese? 

2 breads

1 l (1030 g) buttermilk
75 g fresh yeast
1 tbsp salt
3 dl (420 g) Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses)
3 dl (60 g) wheat bran
3 dl crushed rye malt
3 dl (165 g) rye flour
10 dl (650 g) wheat flour
For the drizzle: 1 dl (0,5 cup US) syrup water (half and half)

Stir the yeast, salt, syrup, wheat bran, crushed rye malt and flours into the lukewarm buttermilk. Pour the mixture into two greased 2-liter tins. 

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 1,5 hours. 

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Bake for 1 hour. Cover with foil if necessary. Bake for a further 30 minutes. Drizzle the loaves with syrup water. Bake for a further 30 minutes without the foil. The loaves might be fully baked at this point. If not, take them out of the tins, drizzle with syrup water and bake for a further 10 minutes.

Cover and let cool on a wire rack. When cooled, wrap the breads tightly and store in a cool place for 2-3 days. If you are in a hurry, you can serve the breads the next day. The taste is irresistible!

Store in a cool place where Islander Bread will keep up to 8-9 days. Storing Islander Bread in the freezer is a great solution too.

leftover

Date Bread

December 10, 2015



I always have whey and mash in my freezer, because I make cheese and home-made beer.
If you don't have them, you can replace whey with water and mash with malt and hot water.

 2 breads

 5 dl (500 g) whey
1 dl (0,4 cup US) mash
25 g fresh yeast
1 tsp salt
1 dl (140 g) Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses)
1 dl (60 g) graham flour
1 dl (55 g) coarse rye flour
2 dl (110 g) bolted rye flour

5 dl (325 g) wheat flour 
8 pcs. dried, soft dates

Cut the dates into raisin-size pieces. Put them into a bowl and sprinkle some wheat flour on them. Shake until the pieces are covered with flour. This way the chopped dates won't stick to each other and you can easily use them in the recipe. 

Stir the yeast, salt and syrup into the lukewarm whey and mash mix. Gradually mix in the flours. Add the dates. Knead the dough for 6–8 minutes.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature until doubled in size. 

Put the dough into two greased tins. Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for 40 minutes. 

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for 50–60 minutes. The bread is ready if it sounds hollow, when you knock on its base.

Cover and let cool on a wire rack.