Finnish Fish-Rye Pie (Kalakukko) — Savonian Rye Loaf with Vendace and Pork

• 600 grye flour
• 200 gbread flour
• 12 gfine sea salt
• 420 mlwater (cool room temperature)
• 50 gunsalted butter (melted and cooled)
• 700 gwhole cleaned muikku (Finnish vendace, heads removed if preferred)
• 250 gpork belly (skin removed, sliced 5 mm thick)
• 1 tspwhite pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 sheetparchment paper
• 2 sheetaluminum foil

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the rye flour, bread flour, and 12 g salt in a large bowl until evenly combined. Add the water and melted butter, then knead for 6 minutes until the dough is firm, slightly tacky, and cohesive like a dense ruisleipä dough.

2. 2

   Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and rest it for 30 minutes at room temperature. This short rest hydrates the rye flour and makes the crust easier to roll without cracking.

3. 3

   Heat the oven to 250°C and line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper. Pat the muikku completely dry, then toss the fish with 10 g salt and 1 tsp white pepper so the seasoning is distributed through the filling.

4. 4

   Dust the work surface with 30 g rye flour and roll the dough into an oval about 45 cm long and 35 cm wide, keeping the center slightly thicker than the edges. The center should be about 1 cm thick because it must support the moist fish and pork during the long bake.

5. 5

   Arrange half of the pork belly slices down the center of the dough, leaving a 9 cm border on all sides. Pile the seasoned muikku over the pork, then cover the fish with the remaining pork belly so the fat bastes the filling from above and below.

6. 6

   Fold the long sides of the dough up over the filling and pinch them together firmly, then fold and seal both ends to form a tight oval loaf. Moisten any dry seams with 1 tbsp water and rub them with a little rye flour from the work surface to create a paste that prevents leaking.

7. 7

   Place the kalakukko seam-side down on the prepared baking sheet and smooth the surface with damp hands. Bake at 250°C for 30 minutes until the crust sets and begins to brown, which helps lock in the juices.

8. 8

   Reduce the oven temperature to 125°C and continue baking for 5 hours. After the first 90 minutes at the lower temperature, wrap the loaf loosely in 2 sheets of aluminum foil so the rye crust does not become too hard before the filling finishes cooking.

9. 9

   Remove the kalakukko from the oven and brush the hot crust with 25 g softened butter. Wrap it again in the foil, cover it with a thick towel, and rest it for 1 hour so the rye shell softens and the fish, pork, and juices settle.

10. 10

    Serve the loaf warm by cutting off the top crust as a lid or slicing it into thick wedges. Spoon the tender fish and pork with pieces of the rye crust, making sure each serving includes both filling and the softened bread shell.