Suomalaisruisleipa (Finnish Rye Bread)
Submitted by debrahowe411
Traditional Finnish rye bread (ruisleipa) with a tender crumb and golden crust. Choose beer, buttermilk, milk, or potato water as the liquid for different levels of tangy, sour flavor.
YIELD
2 loavesPREP
15 minCOOK
30 minREADY
3 hrsIn Finland, rye bread isn’t just bread. It’s practically a national treasure.
This traditional ruisleipa uses a simple yeast dough of rye flour and white flour, shaped into round loaves with a hole through the center (the way Finnish bakers have done it for centuries so the loaves could be hung on poles to dry). The real twist is the liquid: beer gives the deepest sour tang, buttermilk a milder acidity, potato water a subtle earthiness, and milk the mildest flavor.
The crumb is dense but tender, the crust golden and butter-glazed. It’s the kind of bread you tear into thick slabs and eat with salted butter and nothing else.
Kitchen Tips
- Be gentle with rye dough. Rye gluten is more fragile than wheat, so knead lightly and give it rest time to recover.
- The 15-minute rest before kneading is essential. It lets the rye flour hydrate and the gluten relax.
- Prick the surface with a fork before baking. This prevents air bubbles and gives the loaves their traditional look.
- Brush with butter right out of the oven for a soft, glossy crust.
Ingredients
Directions
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.
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