Flour and Bread

The diet of ordinary Finns was heavily dominated by grains up until the late 19th century. Various foods were made from grain: bread, porridge, gruel, dumplings, and beers of varying strength.

In Western Finland, thin rye bread was typically baked twice a year—in spring and autumn. The bread was hung on a pole and dried near the ceiling of the cottage. The practice of making hole bread (round flatbread with a hole in the middle) was adopted from Sweden by the 16th century, possibly earlier.

In Eastern Finland, everyday bread was soft and thick, a rye sourdough loaf that required frequent baking. In the North, thin barley flatbread was made, while in Häme, mixed-grain bread was common.

Caption: “In Tohna‘s kitchen.”
Photo: Collection of the Loimaa Society.
Donor: Ilmari Kotiranta.