Ruisleipä - Finnish Rye Bread
This is the bread I grew up eating and the smell of it as it comes out of the oven is probably one of my favourite things in the world. There are a few different ways to make ruisleipä, but we have always made a flat round loaf with a hole in the centre.
makes 2 round loafs
what you need
1/2 cup of sourdough starter (recipe here)
2 cups of warm water
3 1/2 cups of rye flour
1 packet of dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
2 teaspoons sea salt
3 cups of white bread flour
what to do
Place the starter into a large mixing bowl and stir in the water until well blended.
Blend in 1 cup of rye flour and stir well. Cover with a damp tea towel and let stand in a warm spot for 24 to 48 hours, depending on how sour you want your bread.
the next day
Dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 cup of warm water and stir into the soured mixture. Add the salt and then beat in the remainder of the rye flour. Add the white flour a bit at at time, beating well after each addition.
When it forms into a stiff dough, let is rest in the bowl for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a floured table and kneed until smooth.
Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. Then turn out the dough and divide into 2 parts (remember to reserve about 1/2 cup of dough for next time).
to make the bread
Flatten the balls by patting or using a rolling pin until it is about 1 inch thick into a nice round shape. Make a whole in the centre using a round cookie cutter or a shot glass. Dust the top with a bit of rye flour.
Place the rounds onto a baking tray lined with baking paper and prick all over with a fork. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes.
Bake in a 190C oven for 45 minutes or until the bread is lightly browned.
Cool on a wire rack, wrapped in a tea towel.