Mämmi

Method

1. Heat 100 ml of the water in a heavy-based pan to about 75C — steaming but far from boiling; hotter than this kills the malt enzymes. Whisk in 15 g of rye malt flour and 20 g of rye flour until completely smooth. Cover the pan, wrap it in a towel or set it in a 50-60C oven, and leave 1 hour. This is the imellytys, the enzymatic sweetening.
2. Stir in a second 100 ml of water heated to 75C along with 15 g of rye malt flour and 20 g of rye flour. Beat smooth, cover and hold warm for another hour. The batter should now smell malty and taste distinctly sweet.
3. Add the last 100 ml of water at 75C with 10 g of rye malt flour and 20 g of rye flour, whisk smooth, cover and hold warm for a final hour. The mixture should be loose, glossy and noticeably darker than at the start.
4. Set the pan over low heat and bring the batter slowly to a bare simmer, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon so it does not catch. Simmer 5 minutes, then take off the heat and stir in 1 tsp of dark syrup, 0.25 tsp of fine salt and 1 tsp of dried bitter orange peel. Taste: it should be sweet-malty with a faint bitter edge.