Email to Linda Leone      

Finnish easter Bread (Paaiasleipa)

Source of Recipe

Finland


Recipe Introduction

This bread was traditionally baked in milking pails, to celebrate the arrival of new calves.

List of Ingredients

2 packages yeast, active dry or compressed
1/2 cup warm water (lukewarm for compressed yeast)
1 1/2 cups light cream, scalded and cooled (or undiluted evaporated milk)
2 cups unsifted regular all-purpose flour
5 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
1 cup (1/2 lb.) melted and cooled butter
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons fresh ground cardamom
2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon peel
2 tablespoons grated orange peel
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup chopped blanched almonds
1 cup milk, scalded and cooled
2 cups rye flour
4 to 4 1/2 cups unsifted regular all-purpose flour




Recipe

Sponge;
Dissolve yeast in the water in a large bowl.
Stir in the cream and 2 cups regular all-purpose flour and beat until smooth.
Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 1/2 to 1 hour.
Dough;
stir in the egg yolks, sugar, butter, salt, cardamom, lemon peel, orange peel, raisins and almonds, and beat well until thoroughly combined.
Stir in the one cup of milk and the rye flour until combined, then stir all but 1/2 cup of the remaining regular all-purpose flour to make a stiff dough.
Sprinkle last 1/2 cup flour on board; turn dough out onto floured board and knead until smooth, about 10 minutes.
Butter the bowl and place kneaded dough into it; turn dough over to grease top, cover lightly, and let rise until dough is doubled in size.
Punch dough down, and work into a smooth ball.
Place dough, rounded side up, in a well buttered (straight sided) 4-quart pail (do not use a galvanized pail) and let rise until dough is almost doubled in bulk and just comes to the top of the pail.
Or divide into two 2-quart sized sand pails or two 2-pound coffee cans.
Or divide into two 2-quart sized sand pails or two 2-pound coffee cans.
Bake in a moderate oven (350 degrees) for about 1 1/2 hours for a 4-quart pail, or 1 hour for a 2-quart pail.
Before removing from oven, test with long straw or wooden skewer.
Brush top of loaf with butter while hot, and let cool in the pail for about 20 minutes before turning out.
Cut loaf in quarters and slice; makes about 40 slices.