Finnish Rye Bread (with starter), Ruisleipä recipe
When there is no more rye bread..
I was inspired to make Finnish Rye Bread when I noticed my very last bag of rye bread from Finland very quickly disappearing..
Rye bread like this is not commonly available in most countries outside Finland.
Well, there is rye bread from Germany, but it is sweet and moist, Finnish rye bread is not like that at all.
I of course freeze my treasures (Finnish rye bread) that I buy from Finland when visiting or online, and enjoy them as a treat, but this rye bread would be also something my stomach enjoys more than fluffy white bread..
So how to make sure I can have all the rye bread I want (and need!)?
I thought: "It's time to make a starter and bake the rye bread myself!"
Sure rye bread can be made without a starter, but it does not taste the same.
Traditionally, starter was the remains of the last dough that dried up in the bread-making bowl walls. There are many ways to make a starter, but I wanted to make something quick and easy, so I used my last piece of Finnish rye bread to make a starter.
And the result is so much beyond my expectations that I cannot even say how surprised I was when the bread I made was so good! It even looks like famous Vaasan ruispalat bread, wow!
How to keep the rye bread starter alive?
I will definitely try to keep my starter alive. Next time the starter will be a piece of the ready-made dough.
You can dry the starter, just spread it on baking paper and let dry, store in a closed jar. Or you can freeze a dough ball. Or just close the starter jar and store it in the fridge, it will stay good for 2 weeks.
Note: When making the starter, remember always to use a clean spoon to mix the starter to avoid too much / wrong kind of bacteria growth. Also boiled water is better than tap water.
15 comments
Hi Rita! Oh, that can happen – is it drafty or cold at your home? Where did you keep the starter, I recommend oven or microwave (naturally without heat) and to cover the jar but not tightly. Also, how was the bread you started with? If it was not sour dough, I think it will work slower – actually this can be done without any bread – but it will take more time. If it smells ok, I would still feed it for couple of days to see if it will become alive, as a bit of rye flour is not that expensive to test.
Hi Tove, I’m using 2,5 dl cup.
Hi Tuija. I have tried to make the starter using the rye bread but it is doing nothing. I have added the water and rye flour with no change
I’m on day three and no bubbles ot sour tangy smell. Any recommendations? Kiitos avusta.
I love the Swedish Rågkusar, which are closely inspired the Finnish tradition, but I live in the UK. Every holiday I bring packets of Rågkusar from Sweden to the UK and put them in my freezer. I will try with one of these for the starter.
Is the cup in the recipe referring to an American cup – 237ml or an English cup – 250ml?
Greetings, is there a way to make the starter without the initial bread or cracker parts?