Finnish Rye Bread (traditional recipe)

Saliha

Well-known member
Rye bread is naturally health enhancing. The health enhancement of rye is based on the rye fibre. There are general clinical studies of the benefits of rye fibre for health in Finland. The main benefits of rye fibre and whole-grain products in the diet are:

• helps stabilize blood sugar levels
• helps in weight control
• minimizes the risk of heart diseases
• lowers the risk of some cancers
• improves gut function.

Finnish rye bread is whole-grain - in other words, the whole grain gets milled. This makes Finnish rye bread extremely healthy and rich in fibre, and it also distinguishes it from rye bread made in other countries.

1 dl (0.42 cup) root of dough* (see note)
1 liter (1 quart) water
1 kg (2.2 lb) rye flour
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoon salt

*Note: How to make root of the dough:

3 dl (1 1/4 cups) water
1 tablespoon skim milk
5 dl (2 cups) rye flour

1. Boil the water and let it boil for 10 minutes without the lid.
2. Cool water with a towel. Add skim milk. Mix the liquid 1 dl (0.42 cup) of rye flour. Cover with a cloth and let sit at room temperature.
3. Add to root of the doughn 1/2 - 1 dl (1/4 - 0.42 cup) rye flour, during 5 to 7 days, mix in the same. The root of the dough starts smell of acidic and seethe.

That root of the dough replaces yeast. Rest of it you can keep in the freezer and use later.

1. Soak the dough just lukewarm water. Whisk half of the rye flour to the water, cover with the towel and leave the rest of the flour to room temperature the next day. Leave the dough to the room temperature to the next day.
2. Add the salt and the next day the rest of the rye flour. Knead the dough well until it is a tough and solid. This is quite heavy work.)
3. Let the dough rise under a towel doubled (2 to 6 hours). Time depends on the quality of the root and on the room temperature.
4. Baked 2 to 4 round, high, conical bread. Take from the dough 1 to 2,5 dl (0.42 to 1 cup) for the next baking (store in the freezer).
5. Raiseunder the towel the 1 - 6 hours. The bread begins to disperse from the surface.
6. Prick the bread with a fork. Bake at 250 degrees C / 482 degrees F for 40 minutes, then at 180 degrees C / 356 degrees F for 50 minutes. The bread is done when the bottom boom by tapping it with your finger.

(Source: Martti Blåfield, Ohtola)

Making rye bread by this recipe takes totally about one week. If you don´t have all that time to wait your bread, you can also try this faster version (but remember - we call it as "fake" rye bread ;) ).

"Fake" rye bread


3 loaves

Time: 1 h 45 mins + leavening time 1 h

8 dl / 3 1/3 cups water
25 g fresh yeast
2 dl / bag / a scant cup mashed potato powder
½ dl / 1/5 cup molasses
(1 tsp caraway)
ca 15 dl / ca. 6 1/3 cups rye flour
(2 tablespoon salt if you desire)*

Warm the water to a room temperature (or a little warmer if you're using dry yeast). Crumble the yeast in the water. Add the mashed potato powder, molasses and the caraway (I used ground) (and salt). Mix well.

Knead in as much of the rye flour that the dough becomes soft and is not sticking in your hands anymore.

Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough leaven for about an hour in a warm place.

Divide the dough into three. Form the pieces as loaves, place them on a baking sheet covered with baking parchment and leaven for 40 minutes.

Sprinkle the top of the loaves with flour and bake in the middle of the oven in 225 C / 110 F for 40 minutes. Cool on a rack covered with a towel.

*Adding salt is my recommendation, not in the original recipe.

Source: http://heart-of-chocolate.blogspot.fi/2010/10/fake-rye-bread.html

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Image: http://www.iltasanomat.fi/terveys/art-1288392661796.html
 

Adillo303

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Gold Site Supporter
The recipe (The traditional one) sounds positively yummy. I am saving it to trey when it warms up a bit here. I think it might work out a bit better then.

Than thou for posting.
 

Saliha

Well-known member
Note that when you make the root of dought, at the 4th day it should start to bubble and smell as glue. This means that the fermentation has started.

The best results will get from a wood-fired oven.

Recipe is centuries old. Before bakers left the root to the bottom of wooden bowl and it was used again and again for decades. Every houses had their own, unique root and taste.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Saliha, this is the part that Adillo (and I) have trouble understanding:

"4. Baked 2 to 4 round, high, conical bread. Take from the dough 1 to 2,5 dl (0.42 to 1 cup) for the next baking (store in the freezer)."

My guess is that you mean MAKE 2 to 4 rounds of dough. And take 1/4 of dough for a "starter" to store in the freezer to make your next loaves.

How close am I?

Lee
 

Saliha

Well-known member
Yes that was my meaning. :mellow: Sorry that my English isn´t enough good sometimes... I try to improve it. I can imagine how awful "wrong writed" mother tongue might sounds (I have worked before a teacher of my language to the immigrants).

Thanks about correcting. :flowers:
 

Leni

New member
English is far from the easiest language to learn. No need to apologize.

Thanks for the recipe. I'll certainly give it a try. Any other good ones that you can share?
 

Leni

New member
Went to a grocery store called Sprouts which is a health food type. They had whole grain rye flour. Now I can make your rye bread.
 

Saliha

Well-known member
My the earlist food memory is homemade rye bread, just from the oven, still hot, butter on it and how it melts on the bread. The smell of it and the taste.

:smile:

Perfect together. It always brings me back to the childhood.
 

Leni

New member
Naturally I didn't get to it when I planned to. Today is day 6. The starter is dry on top and not much liquid when I tried to stir it so I added a little water. Just might have to go with regular yeast.
 

Saliha

Well-known member
If it smells like glue, it is ready. You can also add some yeast to dough if you are not sure about the starter.
 

Leni

New member
Yesterday it smelled a little like ??? (the glue you're talking about?) and had a few white dots on top. I decided that I had nothing to lose so I stired it and added a little more flour. I'm going to look at it in a little while. In the meantime I'm going to start a white bread in the machine.
 

Saliha

Well-known member
I think it is ready for baking.

:WitchBrewsSmiley:

The smell of glue means that the fermentation has started. Hopely those few white dots on top aren´t mildewing. But it would smell different.
 

Leni

New member
I stired up up and it actually smells a little sweet. I do believe that you are right. Time to make rye bread.
 

Saliha

Well-known member
Don´t forget to save part of dough to the next time you will bake - then you don´t need to make starter again. You can store it in the freezer for several months.

I think me too will make soon rye bread - this discussion feels so tasty.

:smile:
 

Leni

New member
I stired the root of dough just a few minutes ago. It is ready and smells okay. On to the next step. I've also got a loaf of white bread going in my bread maker for sandwiches.
 

Leni

New member
I had to cut the recipe in half. It should work out okay. In the meantime I used 2 cups of water, half of a little over a pound of flour and about a quarter cup of the root. It is covered with a towel and I'll add the rest of the flour tomorrow. I have a very old Kitchen Aid mixer with a dough hook that should be able to knead the dough for me. If not then I'll have sore arms the next day.
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
If you have an old kitchen aid, you are way better off than with a new one.

Wishing you success.
 

Leni

New member
I know that. My friend was about to donate it to Good Will but asked if I wanted it. I couldn't say yes fast enough. I think that it was made before they sold the company and messed up the motor. How would I know?
 

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
I know that. My friend was about to donate it to Good Will but asked if I wanted it. I couldn't say yes fast enough. I think that it was made before they sold the company and messed up the motor. How would I know?

I have a 5 quart bowl lift KA from mid 1980's and it still works perfectly.
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
No problem Saliha. There is a handy translate button that popped up and translated it. Thank you for posting.
 

Leni

New member
My Kitchen Aid worked just fine. The dough was pretty sticky so I added more flour. It was still sticky but very stiff so I stopped at that point and put the dough into a ceramic bowl that I bought a year ago for baking bread. It has a lid with a tiny hole in it. I am not going to have time to let it rise and then bake it tonight so it just might have a third rise depending upon how it looks in the morning.

Saliha should I add more flour or leave it as is?

The white bread in my bread maker came out great.

The model number of the Kitchen Aid is K5-A. It is white with the lift up bowl system. Anyone know when that might have been made?

Adillo where is the translation button?
 
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Saliha

Well-known member
If the dough is enough tough and solid for shaping, no need to add more flour. The dough should feels a little moist when you start making bread. If you add too much flour, it is too hard shape the breads. Also it might help if you shape it with wet hands.
 

Saliha

Well-known member
I will make rye bread too by this same recipe. Let´s see how it goes.

The day 1: I started the root of the dough.

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It´s now covered with towel, waiting I will add more flour tomorrow.
 
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