Suomalaisruisleipa Finnish Rye Bread Food

FINNISH RYE BREAD - RUISLEIPä

Steps:

• To make the starter, pour the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Break in the bread slices (or Finn crisps) and mix in the rye flour plus the Finnish starter. Stir well to combine. Cover the bowl and leave for 2 days or until the starter is clearly bubbling and smells fresh but 'sour'.
• For this to happen, stir the starter every now and then (a couple of times each day), and keep the bowl covered with tea towels at a steady room temperature.
• After two days, 'revitalize' the starter by adding a cupful of flour (from the whole amount of flour needed for the dough) and stirring it through. After that, leave the starter, covered, for 3 more hours.
• Dissolve the fresh yeast in 100 ml of warm water and add the mixture into the starter. Add in the salt, then knead the flour into the dough bit by bit until the dough starts to unstick your hand.
• At this point, take a piece of the dough to use as a starter for next time. Wrap the piece in plastic wrap and freeze it or store it in the fridge if you are using it again in the near future.
• Leave the rest of the dough to rise, covered, until doubled in size. This can take a good couple of hours or more, depending on the conditions. Once the dough has risen, divide the dough into 2-3 portions and knead into loaves.
• You can use loaf tins or make free-form loaves, both will work just as fine. Try not to use too much rye flour, however, as this can toughen the bread. Place the loaves on a baking tray lined with baking paper, rub a bit of rye flour on each loaf, and cover the tray with a tea towel.
• Leave the loaves to rise for a further 30-40 minutes.Preheat the oven to 200C.Prick the loaves before baking. Bake the bread in preheated oven for 45-60 minutes or until the base of the bread sound 'hollow' when tapped with fingers. Leave the loaves to cool (covered with a tea towel) on a wire rack. This bread keeps well in room temperature, but if you want to freeze it, you should only do so the following day. Serve with good butter and enjoy!

SUOMALAISRUISLEIPA (FINNISH RYE BREAD)

Steps:

• Will have a more or less sour taste, depending whether it is made with beer, buttermilk, potato water, or milk, in that order. Heat 1½ cups liquid to lukewarm. Stir in the butter and salt. Set aside to cool. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water (a temperature comfortable on the inside of the wrist) with the sugar. Let stand for 5 minutes or until the yeast bubbles. Stir the yeast mixture into the cooled liquid. Add the rye flour and beat until smooth. Add the white flour, a cup at a time, stirring after each addition until enough is added to make a stiff dough. Dust a work surface with white flour. Form the dough into a rough ball, place it on the work surface, cover it with a damp cloth, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Generously butter a large bowl or pot. Adding only as much flour as necessary to prevent sticking, knead the bread dough until smooth, about 5 minutes. (The gluten in rye is more fragile than in wheat. It needs a resting time to recuperate and reform and does not need as lengthy or vigorous a kneading). Form the dough into a smooth ball and place it in a buttered bowl, turning it to coat all sides with the butter. Cover it and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Punch the dough down, gently knead it for one minute, and divide it into two parts. Form each half into a round loaf and place the loaves in two lightly buttered 9-inch round cake pans or on a large, buttered baking sheet. Press a hole through the center of each loaf to give it a traditional shape if you wish. Cover and let rise until almost doubled in size, about ½ hour. Preheat the oven to 375℉ (190℃). Brush the loaves with water and gently puncture the surface all over with the tines of a fork, in a design if you wish. Bake for about 30 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. While it is hot, brush it with butter to glaze, and then let it cool on a rack.

RIESKA (FINNISH QUICK FLAT RYE BREAD)

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients, as if you were mixing for a pie crust.
• Dough will be soft.
• Roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness.
• Bake for 10 minutes at 475 degrees.