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Home » Finnish recipes

Archipelago bread-Saaristolaisleipä

Published: Feb 23, 2022 · by Cecilia Hoikka · Affiliate links are marked with an *asterix

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Archipelago bread is a Finnish delicacy. A loaf of rye bread with malted grain. Sweet, dense bread that stores well. This recipe is naturally vegan.

This bread is delicious with salmon soup. It is also especially baked during winter holidays since it pairs with lox really well. This bread is also perfect as a gift for your friend.

Check out also the recipe for Finnish rye flatbreads, rieska.

sliced dark archipelago bread.

The secret to this tasty bread is beer malt, specifically crushed malted rye.

Jump to:
  • Background
  • Equipment
  • Ingredients
  • Replacements
  • Instructions
  • What to serve with
  • Storing
  • Recipe

Background

It is not known exactly where the bread originates from. It is a traditional bread made in the whole coastal area of Finland. Åland island has its own variation that is called svartbröd, black bread because of the intense dark brown color. The svartbröd is usually a round loaf and made with finely ground malt. Archipelago bread has more of a loaf shape.

Archipelago bread is often made in buttermilk, but since the Finnish piimä is hard to get elsewhere you can get equally good bread by using apple or orange juice.

Equipment

To make these loaves of bread you need two loaf tins. If you don't have those at home you can buy some paper forms that are meant for cake and bread baking.

You can even use a round cake form to make these loaves of bread if you don't have rectangular forms.

Ingredients

  • Cloudy apple juice
  • Active dry yeast or fresh yeast
  • Dark syrup
  • Rye flour
  • Wheat bran
  • Crushed beer malt
  • Salt
  • Wheat flour

If you want to try out variations you can add some cumin, aniseed, or fennel as additional seasoning.

Replacements

Liquid: Apple juice can be replaced with orange juice or buttermilk (piimä). Try out also to make this bread in dark beer. Beer makes really delicious bread.

Finnish dark syrup replacements: Finnish dark syrup can be boiled from brown sugar and water into syrup. Here are also some syrup replacement ideas that all will work for this recipe:

  • Dark Karo syrup
  • Dark corn syrup
  • Danish molasses
  • Sorghum syrup
  • Golden syrup with 2 tablespoon blackstrap molasses

Bran replacements: Wheat bran can be replaced with rye bran or oat bran.

Wheat flour: You can also use whole grain wheat flour or spelt flour.

Additions: Some like to add some seeds or crushed nuts, for example, sunflower seeds.

Instructions

Warm your apple juice to 108 F (42C). Add in the dry yeast and syrup. Stir around. If you use fresh yeast you need 50 grams of it, this is added in luke warm liquid.

Add in the malt, bran, rye flour, and salt. Stir. Then add your wheat flour. Stir the batter so it mixes evenly.

warmed apple juice.
Add the yeast and syrup to warm apple juice.

Now you need to let your dough rest and rise. Grease the pans. You can also put baking paper inside. If you use cardboard forms you just need to put some oil inside.

Pour your batter into the forms so it is evenly divided. Let it rest for 1-1,5 hours until about double in size. The dough likes a warm environment. Cover your loaf tins with a cloth or plastic so that the surface does not dry out.

Dough in loaf tins
Dough in paper loaf pans

Bake your bread at 350F (175C) on the lower rack. After one hour brush your loaves with a syrup-water mixture on the surface. Bake additional 20-30 minutes.

halfway baked breads, syrup brushing.
Brush with syrup water

Test if the loaves are ready with a toothpick. If it comes out clean the loaves are done. If the surface looks like it gets too much color, you can cover them with tin foil or baking paper for the last half hour.

The baking time varies a lot depending on the loaf pan size, how much your dough did rise, and on your oven.

Let your loaves cool down before removing from the loaf pans and cutting them. They are best served the next day.

What to serve with

  • Salmon soup
  • Salmon broth
  • Lox, cured salmon
  • Skagenröra, shrimp salad
  • Vegan skagenröra-vegan swedish shrimp salad
  • Carrot lox

This bread can also be served as breakfast with some butter, cheese, and cucumber. We Scandinavians love savory breakfasts and often eat bread, with a cup of coffee of course.

Interested in other Finnish breads? Try also out this quick and easy potato flatbread recipe.

Storing

This bread keeps moist and delicious for a long time as long as you store it airtight so it does not dry. This bread is perfect to make ahead since the flavors intensify and the consistency gets better for the next day.

You can store this bread at room temperature for up to 5 days. In the fridge, it stores longer, up to a week.

Archipelago bread can be frozen and it stores up to 6 months in the freezer.

Recipe

rye bread slices with butter.

Finnish Archipelago bread

Sweet dark malty bread.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 1 hr 20 mins
Resting time 1 hr 30 mins
Total Time 3 hrs
Course Appetizer, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
Cuisine Finnish
Servings 30
Calories 90 kcal

Equipment

  • 2 loaf tins

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups cloudy apple juice
  • 2 bags active dry yeast, 22 grams
  • ¾ cup dark syrup
  • ¾ cup rye flour
  • ¾ cup wheat bran.
  • ¾ cup crushed rye beer malts
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 3⅓ cups all-purpose wheat flour

Syrup

  • 2 tablespoon boiling water
  • 2 tablespoon dark syrup

Instructions
 

  • Warm your apple juice to 108 F (42C). Add in the yeast and syrup. Stir around.
  • Add in the malt, bran, rye flour, and salt. Stir. Then add your wheat flour. Stir the batter so it mixes evenly.
  • Now you need to let your dough rest and rise. Grease the pans. You can also put baking paper inside. If you use cardboard forms you just need to put some oil inside.
  • Pour your batter into the forms so it is evenly divided. Let it rest for 1-1,5 hours until about double in size. The dough likes a warm environment. Cover your loaf tins with a cloth or plastic so that the surface does not dry out.
  • Bake your breads at 350F (175C) on the lower rack. After one hour brush your loaves with a syrup-water mixture on the surface. Bake additional 20-30 minutes.
  • Test if the loaves are ready with a toothpick. If it comes out clean the loaves are done. If the surface looks like it gets too much color, you can cover them with tin foil or baking paper the last half hour.
  • Let your loaves cool down before removing from the tins and cutting them. They are best served the next day.

Video

Notes

Here are some tips on how to replace the Finnish dark syrup: 
Dark Karo syrup, Dark corn syrup, Danish molasses, Sorghum syrup, or Golden syrup with 2 tablespoon blackstrap molasses. Dark syrup can also be boiled from brown sugar and water. 
Wheat bran can be replaced with another type of bran like rye or oat. 
Apple juice can be replaced with orange juice or buttermilk.
Store the bread in fridge for up to 7-10 days. Stores in room temperature 5 days. 
Baking time might be different depending on the size of your loaf tins and the thickness of your bread. 
Keyword vegan, vegetarian
« Finnish Salmon Soup-Lohikeitto
Rieska-Finnish potato flatbread »

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Hi, I'm Cecilia. I want to share Scandinavian and Nordic recipes for you who want to connect with your Nordic heritage and learn to make delicious, simple Scandinavian food and learn about the food culture.

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