In my household growing up, all we ate on a daily basis were whole wheat or seeded, whole grain loaves my mom made from scratch. They were healthy and quite heavy but I loved them. I think this is why I often thought of white bread as quite naughty, something reserved only for a special occasion.

On the occasional weekend, my mom would splurge and make fletteloff, a braided, light, and fluffy loaf made from white flour that had a slight sweetness to it.

The classic accompaniment to this bread was shrimp with mayonnaise and lemon with a sprig of dill and my parents would drink a dry Riesling or beer. This was, and still is a classic summer meal, not just in our home but in many Norwegian homes across the country.

Now that shrimp are no longer part of my diet, I’ve found multiple, wonderful uses for fletteloff. I eat them with a nice side of stew, as delicate cucumber sandwiches, or have them with my vegan cheese and a nice glass of red wine.

Either way, this is a festive bread that is super simple to make with very few ingredients and one I think you’ll come back to again and again.

FLETTELOFF

Makes 1 loaf

2 tsp dry active yeast
1 cup (2.5 dl) water, warmed to about 98° Fahrenheit (37° Celsius)
1 tbsp sugar
¼ cup Just eggs OR 1 tbsp flax seeds mixed with 3 tbsp water
3 tbsp vegan butter, room temperature plus extra for brushing the loaf
2 tsp salt
About 3 cups (7 dl) all-purpose flour
Black sesame seeds for sprinkling on loaf

Add the yeast, water, and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, let sit until the yeast starts to bubble, about 5 minutes (make sure water isn’t too warm or the yeast will die).

Add in the just or flax eggs and combine well. With the dough hook attached, start on slow ad add in the salt and all-purpose flour. Increase to medium speed and knead for about 6 minutes until you have a fairly smooth dough that releases from the sides of the bowl.

Let dough rest under a clean towel in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile grease a baking sheet or dress it with parchment.

Punch out the dough, divide it into three equal pieces. Roll them out into links the size of your baking sheet. Start braiding them together and carefully place them on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise again until doubled in size, another 30-45 minutes.

Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter and sprinkle on black sesame seeds.

Bake in the middle of the oven at 440° Fahrenheit (220° Celsius) for about 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven until golden on top.

Let cool on a wire rack before digging in!

Fletteloff

Print Pin Rate

Servings: 1 loaf

Author: Sunny Gandara | Arctic Grub

Ingredients

• 2 tsp dry active yeast
• 1 cup (2.5 dl) water, warmed to about 98° Fahrenheit (37° Celsius)
• 1 tbsp sugar
• ¼ cup Just eggs OR 1 tbsp flax seeds mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 3 tbsp vegan butter, room temperature plus extra for brushing the loaf
• 2 tsp salt
• ~3 cups (7 dl) all-purpose flour
• Black sesame seeds for sprinkling on loaf

Instructions

• Add the yeast, water and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, let sit until the yeast starts to bubble, about 5 minutes (make sure water isn’t too warm or the yeast will die).
• Add in the just or flax eggs and combine well. With the dough hook attached, start on slow ad add in the salt and all purpose flour. Increase to medium speed and knead for about 6 minutes until you have a fairly smooth dough that releases from the sides of the bowl.
• Let dough rest under a clean towel in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile grease a baking sheet or dress it with parchment.
• Punch out the dough, divide it into three equal pieces. Roll them out into links the size of your baking sheet Start braiding them together and carefully place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a towel and let rise again until doubled in size, another 30-45 minutes.
• Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter and sprinkle on black sesame seeds.
• Bake in the middle of the oven at 440° Fahrenheit (220° Celsius) for about 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven, until golden on top.
• Let cool on a wire rack before digging in!