Finland's Karelian pasties

Living in Finland for 5 years now, I have learned to cook and bake some of their traditional dishes. And those little pasties are my favorite! Many people spread egg butter on them, but i prefer to just spread slightly salted butter. It's delicious. You can eat it with a soup or any meal, or as a replacement for bread (that's how i eat it), or just on its own.

Ingredients:


For the crust itself:

• 25cl water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 190g white flour
• 190g rye flour

For the filling:

• 50cl water
• 30cl rice for porridge
• 90cl milk
• 1,5 tsp salt

For the basting sauce (just mix the ingredients together):

• 12,5cl cup hot milk
• 2 tbsp melted butter

Instructions for the crust itself:

Mix the water, salt, and melted butter in a large bowl and stir in the white flour.

Beat until smooth. 

Add the rye flour and mix until well blended. 

Put the dough on a floured board and knead for 3 minutes. 

Shape it into a roll about 6 cm in diameter and then divide into 12 equal portions. 

Dust with flour and pat each portion into a small round cake. 

Then roll out into a circle about 15 cm in diameter. 

Instructions for the filling (rice porridge):

Boil the water, then add the rice. 

Boil until the water has saturated the rice.

Add the milk and stir the filling for a few minutes. 

Reduce heat and let simmer for about 40 minutes.

Stir every now and then.

When it seems thickish, your porridge is ready.  

Then add the salt and put it aside to cool.

Instructions for making the pasties:

Preheat your oven to 230 degrees celcius.

To fill, place 3 or 4 tbsp of the rice porridge on each circle of dough and spread to within 2cm of the edge. 

Fold two sides of the dough onto the filling, forming an oval shape, but leave around 2cm wide strip of the filling exposed. 

Crimp the edges of the dough. 

Place the pasty on a greased baking sheet and put in the oven for 15 minutes or until lightly browned, basting twice during the baking with the milk and butter mixture. 

Baste once again when you take them out of the oven.  

You can eat them hot or cold, they are delicious both ways! 

Enjoy!