Finnish Baking Workshop to celebrate its beloved coffee bread

FITCHBURG — There is a saying in Finland: “A loved child has many names.” That sentiment perfectly describes Finland’s beloved coffee bread.

A hands-on baking workshop will be held from 10 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 25, at the Finnish Center at Saima Park, 67 Scott Road.

Across Finland today, the soft, lightly sweetened cardamom bread is commonly known as pulla. It appears in countless variations – filled with caramel, vanilla cream, pistachio, almond butter, strawberry jam, and more – “yet it is all still lovingly called pulla,” said Finland native Saija Laurla, who will be teaching the workshop.

In western Finland, however, the same bread is traditionally known as nisu, while other regional dialects refer to it as vehnänen. The term kahvileipä once described any sweet accompaniment served with coffee, though more often than not, it meant pulla.

“For some bakers, nisu is the braided version of this delicacy,” Laurla said. “Others like to keep it to its original vocabulary form — derived from the world nisa, meaning ‘breast’ — when it’s round and resembles an American dinner roll.”

During this hands-on workshop, participants will prepare and bake the dough and create either pulla or nisu.

“If there is enough interest in its cinnamon-scented cousin, we will also bake korvapuusti, which are Finnish cinnamon rolls,” Laurla added.

Please let them know whether you would like to make pulla, nisu or korvapuusti and they will plan accordingly.

Laurla believes that the name is just as important to cherish as the product.

“Whichever name you use, we invite you to celebrate it with us — and bake it,” she said with a smile.

The cost for the workshop is $25 for Finnish Center at Saima Park members; $30 for non-members. Please note that there is a maximum attendance of 40 participants. For more information, or to reserve your space, please e-mail [email protected] or call 978-407-9690.