Like any other ex-pat, there are a few things I always miss from my home country. To mention a few, there the wild berries and mushrooms and the wide range of dairy products. And then there’s the traditional Finnish rye bread.
This rye bread is quick and simple to make, yet the flavor is very close to what I would get in Finland. Fennel is widely used in Finnish savory baking as is the ground bitter orange. Don’t worry if you can’t find the latter, you can easily substitute it with ground (unsweetened) orange peel which has a similar flavor.
The buttermilk cheese is another traditional Finnish treat. It does not require any special equipment to make and you will most likely already have the ingredients at hand. The taste is very mild and the texture resembles that of ricotta. You can make a savory version by mixing in a variety of fresh or dried herbs or try a sweet version with honey and vanilla. It works either way!
How to Make Finnish Rye Bread
Make the Dough:
In a small bowl, stir together the warm water and active dry yeast. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
In a large bowl, stir together the rye flour, whole wheat flour, salt, crushed fennel seeds, and ground bitter orange peel.
Add the buttermilk, molasses, and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.
Stir until a rough dough forms.
Knead and First Rise:
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding a little more flour only as needed to keep the dough workable. Rye dough will feel denser and stickier than white bread dough, so avoid adding too much flour.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until noticeably puffed. It may not double as dramatically as a white bread dough.
Shape the Loaves:
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide it into 2 equal pieces.
Shape each piece into a round or oval loaf.
Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet.
Cover and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until puffed.
Bake the Bread:
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the loaves are firm and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
If using a thermometer, the center of the bread should register about 200°F to 205°F (93°C to 96°C).
Cool the loaves on a wire rack before slicing.
Recipe Notes:
- Rye flour can make the dough sticky, so don’t be tempted to add too much additional flour while kneading.
- Molasses adds color and a slight sweetness to the bread but can be substituted with dark syrup.
- This bread tastes better the next day as the flavors have time to develop.
How to Make Homemade Buttermilk Cheese
- Combine Eggs and Buttermilk: Lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together until well combined. Set aside.
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Heat Milk: In a large saucepan, gently heat the low-fat milk until warm, reaching approximately 107°F (42°C).
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Add Milk Powder: Whisk in the skim milk powder into the warm milk, continuing to heat the mixture until it’s almost boiling.
-
Combine Mixtures: Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the buttermilk and egg mixture. Cover with a lid and leave in a warm place for about one hour.
-
Curdle the Mixture: If no curd forms on the mixture’s surface after an hour, stir in lemon juice. The amount needed can vary, so start with 1 tablespoon and add more as necessary.
-
Drain the Curd: Once the mixture has curdled, use a slotted spoon to transfer the curd into a sieve lined with cheesecloth, set over a bowl to catch the whey.
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Press the Curd: Fold the cheesecloth over the curd and place a weight on top to press it down. Refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours, or overnight for best results.
-
Flavor and Serve: Unwrap the set cheese, flavor with freshly chopped oregano, and serve with rye bread.
Recipe Notes:
- Ensure all utensils and the saucepan are very clean to avoid any unwanted bacteria.
- The temperature of the milk is crucial: too hot, and you risk scrambling the eggs; too cold, and the curds won’t form properly.
- The cheese’s firmness can be adjusted by the length of time under weight: longer for firmer cheese.
Finnish Rye Bread with Homemade Buttermilk Cheese
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 loaves
Description
A dense, flavorful loaf with a distinctive tangy taste, ideal for sandwiches or as a robust side to soups.
Ingredients
- 3 cups (360g) rye flour
- 2 cups (240g) whole wheat flour
- 1 tbsp (15g) salt
- 1/2 cup (120ml) warm water
- 2 tsp (10g) active dry yeast
- 1 2/3 cups (400ml) buttermilk
- 1 tbsp (15ml) molasses or dark syrup
- 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground bitter orange peel, or dried orange peel
- Additional flour for dusting
Instructions
In a small bowl, stir together the warm water and active dry yeast. Let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until foamy.
In a large bowl, stir together the rye flour, whole wheat flour, salt, crushed fennel seeds, and ground bitter orange peel.
Add the buttermilk, molasses, and yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.
Stir until a rough dough forms.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
Knead for 8 to 10 minutes, adding a little more flour only as needed to keep the dough workable. Rye dough will feel denser and stickier than white bread dough, so avoid adding too much flour.
Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl.
Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until noticeably puffed. It may not double as dramatically as a white bread dough.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide it into 2 equal pieces.
Shape each piece into a round or oval loaf.
Place the loaves on the prepared baking sheet.
Cover and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until puffed.
Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the loaves are firm and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
If using a thermometer, the center of the bread should register about 200°F to 205°F (93°C to 96°C).
Cool the loaves on a wire rack before slicing.
Notes
- Rye flour can make the dough sticky, so don’t be tempted to add too much additional flour while kneading.
- Molasses adds color and a slight sweetness to the bread but can be substituted with dark syrup.
- This bread tastes better the next day as the flavors have time to develop.
- Prep Time: 30 min
- Rising Time: 180 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour
How to Make Homemade Buttermilk Cheese
- Total Time: 5 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 1 cheese
Description
A mild Finnish buttermilk cheese with a texture close to pressed ricotta. Serve with rye bread, herbs, honey, or fruit.
Ingredients
- 34 fl oz (1 liter) buttermilk
- 2 large free-range eggs
- 50 fl oz (1.5 liters) low-fat milk
- 1 cup (100g) skim milk powder
- 1-3 tbsp lemon juice (as needed)
- Fresh oregano, chopped, to serve
Instructions
- Combine Eggs and Buttermilk: Lightly beat the eggs and buttermilk together until well combined. Set aside.
- Heat Milk: In a large saucepan, gently heat the low-fat milk until warm, reaching approximately 107°F (42°C).
- Add Milk Powder: Whisk in the skim milk powder into the warm milk, continuing to heat the mixture until it’s almost boiling.
- Combine Mixtures: Remove the saucepan from heat and whisk in the buttermilk and egg mixture. Cover with a lid and leave in a warm place for about one hour.
- Curdle the Mixture: If no curd forms on the mixture’s surface after an hour, stir in lemon juice. The amount needed can vary, so start with 1 tablespoon and add more as necessary.
- Drain the Curd: Once the mixture has curdled, use a slotted spoon to transfer the curd into a sieve lined with cheesecloth, set over a bowl to catch the whey.
- Press the Curd: Fold the cheesecloth over the curd and place a weight on top to press it down. Refrigerate for at least 2-4 hours, or overnight for best results.
- Flavor and Serve: Unwrap the set cheese, flavor with freshly chopped oregano, and serve with rye bread.
Notes
- Ensure all utensils and the saucepan are very clean to avoid any unwanted bacteria.
- The temperature of the milk is crucial: too hot, and you risk scrambling the eggs; too cold, and the curds won’t form properly.
- The cheese’s firmness can be adjusted by the length of time under weight: longer for firmer cheese.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Curdling Time: 300 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: cheese
- Method: Curdling
- Cuisine: Finnish
How can I convert the yeast to sourdough starter?
Hi Nikki, thank you for that awesome question. You CAN adapt this bread to sourdough starter, but the timing and flour/liquid balance will change. For this recipe, replace the 2 teaspoons active dry yeast with about 1 cup active sourdough starter, 100% hydration. That means a starter fed with equal weights flour and water.
Because the starter brings extra flour and water into the dough, reduce the recipe by:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup liquid
So the adjusted bread formula would be:
3 cups rye flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
1 teaspoon ground bitter orange peel, or dried orange peel
1 cup active sourdough starter
1 1/6 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon molasses or dark syrup
I would skip the warm water used for blooming the yeast.
Mix the dough, knead it briefly, then let it rise until noticeably puffed, about 4 to 6 hours, depending on room temperature and starter strength. Shape the loaves and let them rise again for 2 to 4 hours, then bake as written. Sourdough rye dough may not double dramatically, so look for visible puffing and a slightly aerated feel rather than a dramatic rise.
For a more controlled version, refrigerate the shaped loaves overnight after the first rise, then bake the next day.
One note: this will make the bread more tangy and a bit denser than the yeasted version, which is normal for a sourdough adaptation.
Dense, hearty, and delicious. Loved it!
What a delicious bread! Didnt make the cheese but might try that too!
Seriously delicious, turned out perfect. Now on to making the cheese, because that looks amazing too.
Amazing!!!
Thank you!
Super delicious, even if it doesn’t use sourdough. Love the cheese too!
Hey Anni,
It certainly has a Finnish rye bread taste to it, thanks to fennel and bitter orange (‘pomeranssinkuori’). This is a quick and easy version where you don’t need a starter or yeast. It is still wholesome with rye and sweet with treacle, just like the bread you get in Finland :-)
Delicious, but not authentic. I don’t really care though, because the taste is yummy!
While this might not be the most traditional “sourdough” version of rye bread, this looks absolutely delicious.
I love rye bread, and your recipe is one I would love to try. The Buttermilk cheese also looks delicious. This is my idea of a perfect lunch or snack.
So delicious, wow, fantastic!
Thank you for your comment!
I absolutely adore this kind of combinations!
Congratulations, Maria, with this new project!
This bread looks so yummy, and so Finnish. I can almost taste it just by looking at it :-)
Thank you Eszter! This has a very authentic Finnish rye bread taste, thanks to fennel and bitter orange, but it is much quicker and easier to make! :-)
THanks for such a great bread!