Kalakukko - fish small

Method

• Clean the fish, removing fins, large scales and entrails.
• You may leave the heads if you dare to eat them.
• Mix the flours and salt.
• Add the yeast to the water.
• When the yeast is fully dissolved, make a thick dough by pouring flour mixture into water and blending well.
• The ratio of flour to water depends on the nature of the flours.
• This ratio of 1:2 by volume works well in Finland with Finnish flours.
• Where flours contain more gluten you should use slightly less water.
• Set aside about 4 tablespoon of dough to be used later.
• Roll out the remaining dough into a circular shape about 3/4 inch thick.
• Assemble the meats into the dough: cover the inner half of the dough circle with half of the pork (the pork should cover a circle whose diameter is half the diameter of the rolled dough).
• Then put all of the fish over top of the pork, and add allspice and extra salt if you are using them.
• Finish with the second half of the pork.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Lift the edges of the dough all around the filling and glue together with a little water so that you have the filling surrounded from all directions with about 3/4 inch-thick dough.
• Put upside down (the seam downwards) on a baking sheet and let it rise about half an hour at room temperature.
• Put the kalakukko in a 500 degree F. oven for long enough to brown the dough, which will seal it against moisture.
• Then lower the temperature to about 250 degrees F. and let it bake for 4 to 7 hours depending on the size of the fish (bigger fish need more cooking time).
• You can brush some melted butter over the top of the dough just after lowering the temperature; this will give it a prettier appearance.
• If it starts to leak while baking, fill holes with the dough which was set aside.
• Serve hot or cold.