A Log Cabin, A Frozen Lake & Fruit Ciabatta

It is mid-March and the weather keeps changing its mind. One day we may have a snowstorm and the next day will be clear with soft sunshine lighting up the snow and bathing the sky in pastel shades. After the snowfalls early last week we decided to head north on Friday afternoon to the Log Cabin on the shore of Lake Saimaa, for a weekend of skiing on the frozen lake. It would probably also be my last opportunity this season to put the wood fired oven in the cabin to the test.

We arrived on Friday evening just as darkness descended and immediately lit a fire in the big grey stone monster to start heating the cabin and building up heat in the oven above. We snuggled up to the stove with our books and music. Later I chopped the dried apricots while sipping a glass of Portuguese red wine. Just before heading for bed, I mixed the ciabatta dough and put it outside on the deck in the cold to slow down the rise (no need for a fridge up here). Early on Saturday, I built a big fire and brought the dough inside. I formed the loaf, covered it with flour and put it in the kitchen to warm up and rise.

Eventually, an hour later, the oven was put to the test.

Well, it took forever, but we did eventually get to eat the ciabatta. I think it dried out a bit and was a bit heavy after baking for so long. But it made for a tasty brekky with a frothy home-brewed cappuccino. It was a fun experiment but I may stick with an electric oven in the future.

I spent the rest of the morning ‘breaking trail’ on the lake. It was hard work, the snow was up to a foot deep in places but I cut a successful trail in a large circle on the bay. After a few laps the snow had compacted enough to start having fun and do many laps working up the appetite for a standard Scandinavian lunch, smoked salmon on rye. I was looking forward to my trail icing up overnight for Sunday’s fun.

However, when we woke up the next morning it was snowing heavily and my trail was disappearing fast. I did not need to bake either since we still had half a loaf of ciabatta left for brekky. So I settled down with a good book and couple more of those frothy coffees. Next up was some ice fishing. It did not last long. It was just too cold to sit still. We ended up having more fun throwing snow balls and building snowmen so we gave up and went hiking instead. A competition to see who could see the first hopper/hare resulted in no winners.

By the time we finished packing up and headed home to Helsinki, the storm had moved on and the landscape was sparkling in the sunshine. As we approached the turn onto the highway, a hare darted across the road in front of us. Was he laughing?

Cinnamon Fruit Ciabatta

This loaf is delicious while still warm topped with cream cheese or plain butter. It is equally good with a strong cheddar.

Yields 1 medium sized loaf

1 packet (approx 11g) dried yeast
1 teaspoon dark brown sugar or a teaspoon treacle
1 Cup (250ml) warm water
2 Cups bread flour
5 ml salt
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1 Cup chopped dried apricots (cut into quarters)
½ - 1 Cup sultanas

• Dissolve the yeast, sugar/treacle in warm water and leave for 5 minutes till frothy
• Mix the dry ingredients and dried fruit.
• Add the yeast mix and mix well. Knead the dough about 10 times.
• Put the dough in a floured bowl, cover with more flour. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and let it rise for at least 1 hour.
• Once it has risen, gently form the dough into a loaf and place on a baking tray lined with floured baking paper. You can dust it with a bit more flour if necessary.
• Let it rise for another 20-30 minutes
• Bake at 220°C (or 200°C if using a fan oven) and bake for 20 minutes.
• Turn the oven down 20 degrees, turn the loaf over and bake a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven when the loaf sounds hollow when you knock against it with your knuckles.
• Tuck in.

Variation: Add a mix of your favourite herbs and omit the cinnamon for a savoury loaf.