| Rye %: | 51% |
| Stages: | Scald, Final dough |
| Leaven: | Instant yeast |
| Start to Finish: | 4-4½ hours |
| Hands-on Time: | 30 minutes |
| Yield: | Three 1¾ lb/800 g loaves |
One of the breads I discovered on Baltic Rye Tour 2018 was this simple and lovely Finnish malt bread. I first tasted it at the Wi-Box Bakery in Raseborg, on Finland’s southwestern coast, where Swedish influence is very strong. It was an immediate hit, not just with me, but with all 18 members of our jolly band of bread nerds.
| Rye %: | 84% |
| Stages: | Stage 1 sponge, Stage 2 sponge, Final dough |
| Leaven: | Rye sour culture |
| Start to Finish: | 26-30 hours |
| Hands-on Time: | 35-45 minutes |
| Yield: | Two 2¾ lb./1.25 kg loaves |
The Danes are known for their rye breads, of which there are dozens of variations, all of which are called “Rugbrød.” Most are sweet and dense, loaded with seeds and coarse rye meal to provide both richness and a satisfyingly rustic coarse mouth feel.
| Rye %: | 100% |
| Stages: | Straight dough |
| Leaven: | Instant yeast |
| Start to Finish: | Under 2 hours |
| Hands-on Time: | 20 minutes |
| Yield: | Four 10½ oz/300 g loaves, plus centers |
These Anise-Fennel Loaves were a nice surprise that showed up while I was surfing the web for easy rye recipes. My wife and I were going out that evening, planning to get together with several friends who are regular fans of my rye breads. I didn’t want to disappoint them, but didn’t have the time to produce a full-blown sourdough bread, and this one filled the bill beautifully.
| Rye %: | 57% |
| Stages: | Straight dough |
| Leaven: | Instant yeast |
| Start to Finish: | 3 hours |
| Hands-on Time: | 30-40 minutes |
| Yield: | Eight 4 oz./115 g breads |
Just about all of the Christmas breads I’ve seen are sweet and typically feature spices, fruits and/or nuts in great profusion. This Christmas crispbread from Sweden, however, goes against the tide: it’s an austere bread whose characteristics lead me to view it as a relic of life in Sweden’s frigid north, where the living was hard and the only luxuries available were modest at best.