STONE GROUND WHEAT BREADS FROM ÅLANDHemvete (Finland)Hemvete (Sweden)If you ask someone who grew up in Åland or someone who has spent a lot of time there, per-haps visiting relatives, to name an item of food off the top of their head, there’s a pretty good chance that they will mention hemvete.The name, which is a combination of the Swedish words for ‘home’ and ‘wheat’, refers to the use of stoneground whole-wheat flour. Historically this flour was ground at home, on each separate farm. Today, special hemvete flour is sold commercially for baking these soft, rather thick, flat cakes of bread. It is essentially a stoneground, whole-grain wheat flour with a fairly uniform texture.Preparation and cooking time: 45 minutesRising time: 1 hourMakes: 3 breads 500 ml/17 fl oz (2 cups plus 2 tablespoons) milk (or use water or a mixture of both)50 g/2 oz (3½ tablespoons) butter10 g/1/4 oz (2 teaspoons) fresh yeast (pages 58–61)600 g/1 lb 5 oz (4 cups plus 1 tablespoon) stone ground, whole-grain wheat flour 15 g/½ oz (1 tablespoon) saltHeat the milk or water in a pan over low heat and stir in the butter to melt it. Remove from the heat and leave to cool to room temperature.Dissolve the yeast into your chosen liquid and butter mixture. Pour the liquid into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour and salt and knead with the dough hook at medium speed for about 10 minutes, or until shiny, smooth and elastic. The dough should come away from the edge of the bowl when it’s done. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and leave to rise until doubled in size. Line 1 or 2 baking sheets, depending on the size of your oven, with baking (parchment) paper. Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work coun-ter and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Be careful not to incorporate more flour into the dough. Shape each piece into a rough ball and then, with a light-ly floured rolling pin, roll them into rounds, about 1.5-cm/5/8-inch thick and 16.5-cm/6½-inches wide. Transfer the cakes to the prepared baking sheets, cover and leave at room temperature until almost doubled in thickness.Preheat the oven to 225ºC/435ºF/Gas Mark 7. Prick the cakes with a fork and bake until dark golden in colour. It will take about 15 minutes, de-pending your oven. Leave to cool on wire racks.For image see page opposite1.Nordic Baking-bread-wheat-flour_v4.indd 11207/06/2018 12:33113 Recipes / Breads based on wheat flourClockwise from top left: Upplandic Rye Bread (page 130); Stone Ground Wheat Breads from Åland (page 112); Finnish Sweet-and-Sour Loaf (page 141)1.Nordic Baking-bread-wheat-flour_v4.indd 11307/06/2018 12:33SWEDISH SUGARED SWEET KRINGLESSockerkringlor (Sweden)After baking, these individual kringles are brushed with melted butter and then rolled in sugar to coat them completely. They are leavened with both yeast and baking powder (or in some recipes, with yeast and baker’s ammonia), which gives them a very particular texture. The dough has diced but-ter worked into it, similar to a French brioche, which remains emulsified during the kneading. This is different to most Swedish sweet buns, where the butter is melted before being added to the dough.Some recipes are plain, while others are flavoured with cardamom or vanilla; I prefer cardamom.Preparation and cooking time: 1 hour Rising time: 50–60 minutesMakes: 20 kringles250 ml/8 fl oz (1 cup) milk50 g/2 oz fresh yeast (pages 58–61)4 eggs100 g/31/2 oz (1/2 cup) sugarpinch of salt2 tablespoons baking powder1 kg/2¼ lb (71/3 cups) strong wheat flour, plus extra for dusting2 teaspoons finely ground cardamom seeds or 2 teaspoons Vanilla Sugar (page 536), optional250 g/9 oz (2¼ sticks) cold butter, cut into 1 cm/1/2 inch diceFor the filling100 g/31/2 oz (7 tablespoons) butter, at room temperatureTo decoratesugar, to coat50 g/2 oz (31/2 tablespoons) butter, meltedDissolve the yeast into the milk in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the eggs, sugar, salt, baking powder, flour and flavourings, if using and knead with the dough hook for a few minutes before adding the butter. Knead at a medium speed un-til the butter is completely incorporated and the dough is smooth and shiny. Cover the bowl with a clean dish towel and leave to rise for 25–30 minutes, or until doubled in size. While the dough is rising, line a baking sheet with baking (parchment) paper.Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work coun-ter to a 35 x 55 cm/14 x 22 inch rectangle. Brush half of the rectangle along its length with some butter. Fold the buttered half over the other half to form a thicker rectangle. Slice this into 20 short strips (of dough sandwiched with butter), which will each become a kringle.Pick up a strip and twist along its length. Form into the traditional knot shape (see illustration on page 294) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough strips. Cover them with a clean dish towel and leave to rise for 30 minutes. While the kringles are rising, preheat the oven to 225ºC/435ºF/Gas Mark 8 and spread the sugar out on a plate.Bake the kringles until they are pale golden in col-our. Brush with melted butter while they are still warm, then roll them in sugar to coat completely. Leave to cool on a wire rack. For image see page opposite 10.Nordic Baking-sweet-kringles_v5.indd 29607/06/2018 12:39297 Recipes / Sweet kringlesTop to bottom: Swedish Sugared Sweet Kringels (page 296); Finnish Water Kringles (page 298); Danish Sweet Kringle (page 294); Glass Kringles (page 298)10.Nordic Baking-sweet-kringles_v5.indd 29712/06/2018 13:49SWEDISH ALMOND MERINGUE TORTEBrittatårta / Pinocchiotårta (Sweden)My grandmother used to make this torte quite often for birthdays and other torte-friendly oc-casions; I never really liked it. When I was served it growing up, the browned sticky meringue on sponge and the darkly toasted almond flakes always tasted a bit like defeat. Perhaps more child-friendly pastries, like Strawberry Layer Cake (page 454) or Princess Torte (page 446), were on my mind. Today I have learned to tolerate this very pop-ular classic, to an extent where I can look in the eye someone who baked it and served it to me, politely thank them and smile, without my true feelings for this otiose cake shining through. The recipe below is just for the cake and meringue part of the torte as you can really use anything you like for the filling. Most people would use whipped cream and berries or fruit but it’s your choice. You are only limited by your own sense of adventure, daring or shame. I’ve seen everything in there, from mashed banana to Skittles with vanilla cream or liquorice-flavoured yogurt. My childhood brittatår-ta usually used the more restrained combination of whipped cream, raspberries and kiwi fruit.Preparation and cooking time: 2 hoursServes: 10–12For the cake100 g/3½ oz (7 tablespoons) butter100 g/3½ oz (½ cup) sugar5 egg yolks50 ml/2 fl oz (3½ tablespoons) milkpinch of salt125 g/4½ oz (1 cup) weak (soft) wheat flour2 teaspoons baking powderFor the meringue5 egg whites160 g/5½ oz (¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon) sugar100 g/3½ oz (1 cup) flaked almondsPreheat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas Mark 2 and line a 30 x 40-cm/12 x 15-inch baking sheet with baking (parchment) paper.To make the cake, combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until pale and creamy. With the motor on low, add the egg yolks, one at a time, un-til they are all fully incorporated. Mix in the milk and the salt. Sift in the flour and the baking pow-der and mix until smooth. To make the meringue, place the egg whites in the spotlessly clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer (or a large stainless steel mixing bowl) and start whisk-ing them slowly until they begin to foam. Add the sugar, little by little, making sure you leave enough time between each addition for the sugar crystals to dissolve completely. After you have added about half of the sugar, start whisking at a faster speed and add the sugar at a slightly faster pace. When all the sugar has been added, lower the speed again and keep whisking the meringue until all the sugar crystals have dis-solved and the meringue is stiff. Spread the cake batter out onto the prepared bak-ing sheet. Spread the meringue on top of the batter and sprinkle on the flaked almonds.Bake for 25–35 minutes. When it is ready, both the meringue and the almonds should be a nice amber colour. Leave to cool completely.To assemble, slice the torte in half horizontally us-ing a sharp serrated knife. Spread one section with whipped cream and your choice of other filling ingredients. Sit the other piece on top and transfer carefully to a serving platter.For image see page opposite 16.Nordic Baking-layer-cakes-tortes_v4.indd 46607/06/2018 14:55467 Recipes / Layer cakes and tortesTop to bottom: Almond and Buttercream Torte (page 452); Swedish Almond Meringue Torte (page 466) 16.Nordic Baking-layer-cakes-tortes_v4.indd 46707/06/2018 14:55We hope youenjoyed this EYB Book PreviewThe complete book is available from all major booksellers. Or use the "Buy Book" button and help support EYB.Next >