Finnish Christmas Loaf

November 16, 2016


















I bake Islander Bread for Christmas, but my family likes traditional Finnish Christmas Loaf too. So, I have a habit of baking the latter in November. This is a lovely bread as such, but also a delicious toast for breakfast. 

1 bread

3 dl (300 g) buttermilk
25 g fresh yeast
0,5 dl Scandinavian dark syrup (or light molasses)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp Seville orange peel powder (bitter orange peel powder)
2 tsp fennel seeds, coarsely crushed
3 dl (170 g) rye flour
3,5 dl (220 g) wheat flour
For the glaze:
syrup water (half and half)

Stir the yeast, syrup and salt into the lukewarm buttermilk. Add spices and rye flour. Gradually mix in the wheat flour and knead the dough for 6–8 minutes.

Cover and leave to rise at room temperature for about 40 minutes.


Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it. Shape the dough into a loaf and put it into an oiled tin.

Cover and leave to rise for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Bake for an hour or so. Brush with syrup water after 40 minutes and the second time 10 minutes later.

Take the loaf out of the tin, cover and let cool on a wire rack.


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