In Sweden and Baking Bröd!!
I travel, I bake. I Sometimes even travel AND bake at the same time! I'm in an apartment in Sweden, so I have access to a full kitchen -- when I am in hotels or some smaller apartments I only have a microwave or a kitchenette so it's not possible. But so far I've made BREAD, as well as banana bread, banoffee pie, annnnd.... there will be more to come as well.
In Sweden you pronounce bread like 'bröd' -- and they don't do fluffy bread as often as they do flat bread, so a lot of Swedes don't actually get to experience the whole 'fluffy bread fresh from the oven' thing. Interesting right?!
Things that you have to keep in mind when you are baking in another country are the variables you don’t really consider at home:
temperature of the air
temperature of different ovens
altitude
ingredients not reacting the same way you are used to
foreign names not matching what you want
they might not even HAVE certain things! Like try finding pureed pumpkin in Sweden (eye roll). It’s possible, but it’s hard. Nuts cost an arm and a leg. Graham crackers? Yeah right!
It’s a handy way to force yourself to learn words in a new language because you have to translate everything, but it can also lead to some pretty stern mistakes. I once bought something thinking it was milk, but it was NOT. Not at all. Hahaha.
So when baking bread in Sweden, for instance, they do have ‘bread flour’ but they also have ‘vetemjol special’ — which is basically regular flour but with more protein. Typically you want more protein in bread, to help the gluten cause the rise … but I’m not entirely sure which is better for breadmaking! Vetemjöl Special, or bröd mjöl? Who knows! I sure don’t. But I go with vetemjol special, simply because I don’t know…. but I DO know it has more protein than regular flour… and that works for me. I am guessing that bröd mjöl has even MORE protein, but I can’t say for certain. Swedish people consider bread to be the flat crunchy stuff they eat with cheese and meats… and I don’t know if I trust their definition of ‘bread flour’, hah!
Vetemjöl Special!
It does the trick. I think.
Enjoying my time in Sweden, and my friends are enjoying the baked goods! Getting in a lot more steps than I usually do because walking every where usually does that to you. It’s nice! Although, with all the baking I’ve been doing to help offset the cold Swedish weather, I may need even more walking. 20,000 steps? Not good enough! Haha.
I hope this inspires you! Don’t be afraid to bake abroad — it can be fun and give you something cozy to do when the weather is wet and cold outside and sightseeing isn’t the most appealing option! Plus you and your friends can enjoy the results and that’s always lovely, isn’t it?
