Round the Baltic Sea Caraway Cake
By Anna Luttinen (Helsinki)
This bread recipe balances four core flavours: sour, fatty, sweet, and salty. The sourdough starter provides a tangy base, while rapeseed oil adds richness. Honey, sea salt, and apples offer sweetness and saltiness, creating a well-rounded flavour profile.
The bread features caraway, a gut-friendly spice. Interestingly, Finland is the fourth-largest producer of caraway globally, as the long summer days enhance its flavour.
Courgette, grown organically on the shores of the Baltic Sea, adds moisture and texture in the bread. Caraway and pumpkin seeds contribute dietary fibre, supporting digestive health. Dividing the dough into smaller muffin-sized portions increases surface area during baking, creating a tastier crust.
This recipe not only promotes local, regenerative ingredients but also raises awareness about agricultural practices that benefit both soil and human health.

Photo: Veikko Somerpuro.
Ingredients
140 gr spelt sourdough starter
450 g water
200 g organic rolled oats
500 g organic spelt flour
80 g almond flour
1/2 dl psyllium powder
1/2 dl flaxseed meal
1/2 dl caraway seeds
4 dl courgette grated
2 dl domestic apples grated
1 dl pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp honey
1 dl rapeseed oil
1 dl oat milk
13 g sea salt
Method
Begin by mixing the spelt sourdough starter, water, and organic rolled oats in a large bowl. Add the spelt flour, almond flour, psyllium powder, flaxseed meal, and caraway seeds, stirring until fully combined. Then, fold in the courgette paste, grated apples, pumpkin seeds, honey, rapeseed oil, oat milk, and sea salt, making sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
Once the dough is mixed, cover the bowl with a damp cloth and refrigerate it overnight. This resting time allows the dough to ferment and develop its flavour.
The next day, take the dough out of the refrigerator and divide it into greased moulds or bread tins. Small pans will need to bake for about 30 minutes at 200°C, while larger pans may require 50-60 minutes. Bake until the bread is golden brown and firm. Let it cool before serving to allow the flavours to settle.
Anna Luttinen’s caraway cake received an extra special mention by Leipäpaja. The jury described the bread in the following way:
This special mention of the Maaleipä Challenge is for a unique bread that the jury commended for it being almost like a meal in itself. It is highly nutritious for the gut and its diversity of ingredients is commendable.
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