This Finnish dish has been around for decades, although bread cheese may be relatively new in the US.
For years, I had to prepare my favorite Finnish bread cheese, leipäjuusto, from scratch if I wanted to enjoy its wonderfully squeaky bits. Although it is well worth the effort, it is a time-consuming process that requires most of a day to do correctly. I've been known to stuff a wheel of this traditional Finnish cheese into my carry-on bag right before I leave the Helsinki airport to head back to the United States because it's so good.
You can only imagine how shocked I was when an American bread cheese began to appear in supermarkets a few years ago! These days, supermarket stores like Trader Joe's and now Aldi carry squares of this hard, toasted cheese, in their refrigerator cases. I am overjoyed that my favorite Finnish dessert is now available in my local markets.
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What is bread cheese?
A classic treat from Finland's South Ostrobothnia area is bread cheese. This region of the nation is home to my dad's family, and I have innumerable recollections of sitting around the kitchen table at our family dairy farm, munching on bits of leipäjuusto and sipping afternoon coffee.Leipäjuusto technically means bread cheese in English, but because of the distinctive sound it produces when you bite into it—similar to that of cheese curds—you may also hear it called "squeaky cheese" in the United States.
Traditionally, colostrum from cow's milk was used to make this delicately flavored cheese, although ordinary cow's milk can also be used. After curdling, the milk is pushed and compressed into a circular disk. To get the distinctive char markings on the surface, the disk is then toasted close to an open flame or broiled in a hot oven. Although the cheese disk can be sliced into wedges, our family like to cut it into tiny, bite-sized diamonds. Bread cheese, which comes in little squares instead of round disks, is most commonly offered in the United States. It can be flavored with cranberries, bacon, jalapeño, and garlic.
How are you supposed to eat bread cheese?
You may eat bread cheese warm or cold. In Finland, it's common to see bread cheese slices topped with a few fresh cloudberries or, in the absence of fresh berries, a tablespoon of cloudberry jam. Coffee is frequently consumed with it, and some people even dip their bread cheese in coffee before biting into it. A traditional Finnish afternoon coffee break might consist of some Finnish cookies, Finnish flatbread or rye crackers, slices of Finnish cardamom braid bread (called pulla), and a few pieces of bread cheese.
Customers in the United States have found new and interesting ways to savor this squeaky cheese. Unlike other cheeses, it can be cooked, air-fried, and even grilled since it can withstand intense heat. Bread cheese cubes are great in salads because they combine the flavors of croutons and cheese in one tasty mouthful.
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How is bread cheese different from Halloumi?
Finland's bread cheese has a light, buttery flavor. The Cyprus-born Halloumi, however, is a little more acidic and salty. whereas both cheeses are solid and have a high melting point, Halloumi can have a crispy crust when grilled, whereas bread cheese becomes smooth when heated.