Finnish-American Flatbread

A very delicious Finnish flatbread made with wheat and rye flours. Cream of rye cereal can be used in place of the rye flour if coarse ground is not available. This recipe makes 4 to 5 flatbreads.

Step: 1

In a large bowl, stir together the warm water and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Step: 2

Stir in the salt, whole wheat flour and rye flour. Mix in the bread flour 1 cup at a time until the dough is not sticky. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Place in an oiled bowl, turning to coat. Set aside to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Step: 3

Punch down the dough and divide into 4 or 5 portions. Form each one into a ball, and let rise again until doubled, about 20 minutes.

Step: 4

Place each ball onto a baking sheet and flatten out into an oval 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Poke holes all over using the tines of a fork. Let rise again until doubled, 20 to 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Step: 5

Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until browned on the top and bottom. Brush the tops with butter while still warm.

Per Serving: 404 calories; protein 13.2g; carbohydrates 78.2g; fat 3.8g; cholesterol 5.1mg; sodium 406.4mg.

The quality of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different makers do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are naturally higher in gluten, may give you a better rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal dough , which doesn’t always rise as well as white bread.

To made this in a breadmaker , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A bread first rising can be done in the fridge overnight . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great limit , as you can start it yesterday , then finish it off the next day.