NOTE: I usually post my recipes for each menu in the order you’d eat them during an actual meal (appetizer, entree, side dish, and dessert). I’m doing things a little different this week, since I have something special planned for the entree, but it’s not ready yet. So today we’re doing the side dish instead. On with the show!
One of the great things about food blogging is that it gives me a chance to experiment with with variations on common foods. Loads of classic books prominently feature bread, so I make it all the time. Of course, I don’t want to repeat recipes, which means I’m always on the hunt for a new kind of bread to make. This has led to some delightfully unique bread making experiences. I’ve made Swiss braided bread, Missouri bacon cornbread, and even Brimstone Bread inspired by DRACULA! Since RONIA THE ROBBER’S DAUGHTER is set in a fantasy version of Scandinavia, today I’m trying my hand at sunnmørsbrød, Norwegian rye bread!
Scandinavia boasts many unique, traditional breads like knäckebröd (Swedish crispbread) and rugbrød (a distinctively angular Danish bread). In RONIA THE ROBBER’S DAUGHTER, Ronia’s mother Lovis makes amazing bread, but the book doesn’t say what kind. The only clue is that it’s always referred to as a loaf, which disqualifies all the Scandinavian crispbreads and flatbreads. Luckily, that still leaves lots of yeasted rye breads, so I chose a recipe from the Sunnmøre region of Norway, which I found on Arctic Grub.
This recipe is super easy. It’s also really flavorful, since it uses oat AND three types of flour: white, whole wheat, and rye. It takes on a delightful nutty flavor when toasted. Perfect for slathering in butter and dipping in Lovis’s chicken soup!
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Sunnmørsbrød: Norwegian Rye Bread
Then Ronia screamed, “Birk, did you see? Bread! We’ve got bread!”
She seized a loaf and held it up. She breathed in the fragrance, and tears came to her eyes.
“Lovis’s bread! I’d forgotten there was anything so wonderful.”
And she broke off great chunks and stuffed them in her mouth . . . Ronia chewed, tasting the bread like a blessing in her mouth, and it made her miss Lovis.
— Ronia the Robber’s Daughter
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 1/2 Tbsp neutral oil
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp rapid rise yeast
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
- 1 cup plus 2 Tbsp dark rye flour
- 1/4 cup old fashioned oats
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- 4 cups plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp melted butter
Makes 2 9-inch bread loaves
INSTRUCTIONS:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, gently whisk together the water, oil, maple syrup, and sugar until the sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle in the yeast and allow to sit for 5 minutes. While you wait, whisk together the whole wheat flour, dark rye flour, oats, and salt in a large bowl.
- When the 5 minutes are up, add the flour mix to the mixer bowl. Mix on low speed until combined. Stop mixer, add one cup of all-purpose flour, and return speed to low until combined. Repeat until all the flour has been added. Increase speed to medium until fully combined.
- Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for 10 minutes, reflouring the surface as needed. Divide the dough in half (each of my halves weighed 820 grams). Roll the first half into a 10-inch circle with a rolling pin. Starting at the side closest to you, tightly roll up the circle like a sleeping bag. Set it seam side down and tuck the two ends underneath to create an 8-inch loaf. Press the seams from the ends into place to make sure there are no open folds for air to get in. Place on a well greased baking sheet. Roll and tuck remaining half of dough to making a matching loaf and place it on the baking sheet as well.
- Cover loaves with a kitchen cloth and allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour. Brush the tops with melted butter. Score the top with a small, sharp knife, cutting about 1/2 inch into the loaf.
The recipe doesn’t say to cut the loaf, but it’s a good way to control the rise, especially if you’re not using a loaf pan. I did one loaf without a cut (on the left) and one with a cut (on the right). The one on the left split down the side, which is hard to see in the pictures. It still looked ok, but there’s no guarantee it will turn out like that every time. - Preheat oven to 400°F. Bake for 35 minutes or until the loaves are golden on top and sound hollow when firmly tapped on the bottom.
- Serve to the rowdy robbers of Matt’s Fort, or grab a loaf to share with your best friend in Bear’s Cave!
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