Grandma Dorothy's Finnish Flatbread

This is a VERY special recipe. SO special in fact, that it was not simply handed down to me. In a way, I had to earn it. I took a three hour trip with my sister Kim, (during a tornado, might I add) and spent a weekend with my grandma Dorothy and Grandpa Dale. Grandma had a very hands-on approach to handing down her recipe. We spent the weekend chatting, baking, and enjoying each others company. I have always loved this bread. But the time I spent with my Grandma made me love it for different reasons. Now it's not just bread. It's a memory.

This is a recipe that her mother, my great-grandmother, Alma Piilola, made as a young woman. My grandma has quite simply, perfected this recipe. Every loaf comes out perfect in taste, texture, and appearance. In years past, she made loaf after loaf, filling her freezer each year around the holidays and giving the bread as gifts. My grandpa likes this bread straight out of the oven, still hot, and dripping with freshly spread butter. I like it cooled. I think I know the reason why. Growing up, I had always had the bread weeks after my grandma made it, froze it, and was giving it away and serving it at the holidays.

Grandma no longer bakes bread as often as she used to. My aunt now makes it every Christmas, and sends two loaves home with each family. Two summers ago when I went up north to learn to make it was the first time I had had a fresh slice of it. I hold a special place in my heart for this recipe. The time I spend with my grandma learning her way of making it was priceless. So here I am, giving it to you. My only request is that you make it word for word, step by step, exactly as my great gramda, grandma, and myself do.

Grandma Dorothy's Finnish Flatbread

3 cups milk
2 1/2 Tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt

1. Mix these three ingredients together in a sauce pan. Cook until scaleded.

2. Set aside. Let milk mixture cool to room temperature before continuing with recipe.

1/4 cup warm water
1 1/8 tsp yeast
1 tsp sugar

1. Mix together water, yeast, and sugar.

2. Let sit while your scalded milk is cooling. Yeast and water mixture will froth, and seem to almost grow.

7-8 cups flour
1 1/2 Tbsp melted shortening

1. Using a large Kitchenaid Mixer with bread hook, mix together cooled milk mixture, yeast mixture, and 5 cups of flour. Set timer for 5 minute and let mixer mix bread.

2. After 5 minutes pour in the melted shortening.

3. Pour in the rest of the flour.

4. Mix until flour is combined.

5. On a heavily floured surface, drop your bread dough out of the bowl.

6. Knead bread by hand until smooth and elastic.

7. Rub the inside of a large bowl with butter or shortening.

8. Put dough inside the bowl, and cover. Let rise in a warm spot for 2 hours. ( I usually preheat my oven to 170, and then turn it off. Put the bread in the oven, and leave it for two hours.) Bread will have at least doubled in size.

9. After two hours, drop dough back onto a floured surface, punch down, and put back in bowl.

10. Let bread dough rise for another hour.

11. Dump bread 1 last time, punch down, and divide into three loaves.

12. Form, and flatten each loaf on it's own baking sheet.

13. Let rise for another hour, then poke holes in the bread with a fork.

14. Bake for 30 minutes at 350.