Aitoo perunarieska

Appearance & taste

The flatbread is round and is made in different sizes. It is brown-speckled because the dough contains pieces of potato skin; the speckles show after baking, especially with thick-skinned potatoes. It tastes and smells of potatoes and is firm to the bite, as neither yeast nor other raising agents are added. Grated carrots, turnips, beetroot or swedes can be added to the dough for more colour or flavour.

Production

The potatoes are washed, boiled in their skins, cooled and crushed unpeeled without water, on their own or together with the other ingredients. Because the skin protects the inside, no agents against browning are needed. According to the specification, the variety does not matter. Flour, usually wheat flour, makes the dough smoother and drier; gluten-free mixes, such as pure rice flour, are also possible. Rapeseed or turnip rape oil and salt are added, and if needed sugar, which balances the flavour when the potatoes change during storage, or potato flakes for potatoes that are too watery. Potassium sorbate or rowanberry extract are permitted as preservatives.

Because the flour breaks up the cell structure of the potatoes and the dough therefore quickly becomes watery, it has to be baked as soon as possible; larger quantities cannot be stored, and where many breads are made, dough is prepared several times a day. Leftovers may go into the next batch, including chilled from the previous evening or frozen. The dough is shaped by hand or with dough rollers into a sheet, from which round flatbreads are cut out. Depending on thickness, size and oven, they are baked at about 240 to 300 °C for 12 to 22 minutes; the breads then cool before packing.

The dough and preparation for baking take place in the area, where the breads are also packed baked or frozen. Ready-to-bake flatbreads may be deep-frozen raw there and baked elsewhere.

Origin & history

The area covers the regions of Pirkanmaa and Kanta-Häme. According to the specification, making the bread requires care and craft skill to combine potatoes and flour in the right proportion; this knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation. In 2020, eggs were removed from the recipe.