For those of us who grew up in Finnish American communities, this Finnish rye flatbread tastes like childhood. I mean, I guess I can only speak for myself, but that feels like a pretty educated guess. And it makes sense-this bread is delicious, versatile, and easy to whip up in a flash. The flours, oats and buttermilk combine to make a complex-ly (that’s not a word) flavorful and hearty flatbread that you’ll reach for again and again!
Finnish rye flatbread, or rieska, has been around for a very, very long time. The specific ingredients used would have depended on the region of Finland, but it’s usually made with barley flour or rye flour. I’ve gone with rye here, but you can easily substitute it for barley if you prefer.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This bread comes together so quickly and easily, it’ll soon be your go to for weeknights. It’s so hearty and flavorful, it can easily round out any number of meals which need a little something extra. My absolute favorite thing to serve Finnish rye flatbread alongside is this salmon soup!
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Tools & Equipment for Finnish Rye Flatbread
- Quarter sheet pan or 9×13 pan
- Large mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Pastry cutter or forks
- Liquid measuring cup
- Measuring cups & spoons
- Kitchen scale (optional)
- Dough whisk (optional), or spatula
Ingredients for Finnish Rye Flatbread
- 1/2 cup (45g) rolled oats
- 1 cup (113g) rye flour
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (340g) buttermilk
The Process: How To Make Finnish Rye Flatbread
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Farenheit (yes, really!). Line a quarter-sheet pan or a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease it & set it aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the oats, rye and all-purpose flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, until well mixed. Add the butter in chunks and use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is a coarse texture and the butter is mostly incorporated. Add the buttermilk to the mixing bowl and stir- my favorite thing to use for this is my dough whisk. This is a very wet, sticky dough!
Scrape the dough into the prepared pan. Use wet hands to gently spread it out to evenly fill the pan. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until lightly browned and springy to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then cut into squares and serve warm.
That’s it! So easy!
Frequently Asked Questions
How Should I Serve and Store Finnish Rye Flatbread?
Serve cut up into little squares, preferably while still warm. Serve it with butter, alongside soup (this one in particular), or with a salad, topped with butter & cheese.
Finnish rye flatbread keeps at room temperature, in a bread box or plastic bag, for a few days. You can also freeze the squares, partially thaw them, then reheat at 350 degrees for a few minutes.
Substitutions
Barley flour in place of the rye would make for a very authentic substitute.
If you don’t have buttermilk, use whole milk, with a tablespoon of lemon juice added. It’s never a perfect substitute, but in this case it definitely suffices.
If you have piima (Finnish buttermilk), that will absolutely work in this recipe as well.
Finnish Rye Flatbread (Rieska)
This is a delicious, hearty flatbread that comes together quickly & easily. It's the perfect addition to your weeknight meals!
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup (45g) rolled oats
- 1 cup (113g) rye flour
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups (340g) buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 500 degrees Farenheit (yes, really!) Line a quarter-sheet pan or a 9x13 pan with parchment paper, then lightly grease it. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk oats, rye and all-purpose flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar, until fully combined.
- Add the butter in chunks and use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is a coarse texture and the butter is mostly incorporated.
- Add the buttermilk to the mixing bowl and stir- a dough whisk or a spatula will work well. This is a very wet, sticky dough!
- Scrape the dough into the prepared pan. Use wet hands to gently spread it out to evenly fill the pan.
- Bake for 15-17 minutes, until lightly browned and springy to the touch. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then cut into squares and serve warm.
Notes
1. If you prefer, you can substitute barley flour for the rye- they are both traditionally used in rieska!
2. If you don't have buttermilk, you can use 1 1/2 cups whole milk with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice. It isn't exactly the same, but the bread will still turn out really well.
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What Should I Make Next?
Want to delve into some more complex rye recipes? Try Sourdough Rye or Sourdough Marble Rye!
Did you make this recipe? Let me know how it goes in the comments! If you post on Instagram, please tag me @sisuhomemaker.
As always, please feel free to bring any comments or questions to me directly at carol@sisuhomemaker.com.
I only had a small amount of rye discard and followed the rest of the measurements exactly (I subbed brown rice flour for the all purpose and used water instead of milk). My dough was more like a thick batter even though I used slightly less liquid, but it baked up beautifully. I love the soft crumb and hearty flavor. To me it tastes like soda bread, which I love. I sprinkled caraway seeds before baking, which gave it a wonderful aroma. Thanks for this recipe, it’s such a great quick bread to pair with soup. So good 😊
so glad you liked it! Thanks for sharing your substitutions, I’m glad it worked out well. It’s a pretty versatile bread 🙂