Rye crisp bread (Knekkebrod), these leavened flatbreads may be found all across the nordic regions and are a staple snack to have at any time. Originally dried by hanging them over the stove after cooking, the lack of water allowed them to stay fairly fresh for a long period of time. Thus they were considered a staple in the “poor mans diet”. The history of them even seems to date as far back as the 6th century.
I have personally become a very big fan of these for their simplicity. They are extremely delicious and you can have them with a number of different toppings. Because of their dry nature, they hold up extremely well to jams and preserves. A bit of good butter and some salt also go a long way to sate the appetite when you just want to snack on something crunchy. I mean, who doesn’t love a little bread and butter?
They may also be the perfect addition to a charcuterie board. Aged cheeses, jams, preserves, honey, oily cured meats, and maybe some whipped feta. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. I may dip some in my pimento cheese dip right now actually.
Bake don’t buy!
You rarely see these baked anymore as they are far more common to find in stores now. You may even occasionally find some commercial versions in your local supermarkets charcuterie or international isles. But baking them at home gives you a peak into nordic food culture and the methods used for centuries.
So dive right in and start baking! Though rye crisp breads are deceptively simple to make, they do require a bit of technique. However, they are also EXTREMELY forgiving as no matter what you do, as long as they are well floured and thin they will always come out tasting perfect!
Rye crisp bread time!
Pour the milk and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until the yeast has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and, using the dough hook, knead at a medium speed until the dough has fully formed and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
Flour a workspace on your counter and tip the dough out onto it. Press the dough flat and divide into 15-20 equal sized pieces. flour your hands and shape each piece into a nice round ball. Place off to the side and let them rise for another 20 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 425°f and place a baking tray into the oven to heat up with it.
Dust your workspace with a healthy amount of flour, (believe me that you will need quite a bit to avoid sticking) and place one of the buns onto the space. Roll the bun out into 8 inch diameter rounds. They don’t necessarily have to be round. Do so by slowly rotating them while rolling and then flipping and repeating. Continue with the remaining buns. dust with flour on top of each finished one so they may stack well.
For the bake, you will place each round on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. You can go for 7 minutes for a slightly darker and crispier look. They do not have to stay in the oven until they are crisp though. They will crisp on their own as they dry and cool. Allow them to cool on a wire rack after baking. They may be stacked to cool as there will be many.
Rye Crispbreads
Equipment
- 1 Wired cooling rack
Ingredients
- 2 cups plus 2 Tbsp whole milk 500ml
- 50 grams yeast
- 2 1/2 cups coarse rye flour 330g
- 3 cups strong wheat flour 400g
Instructions
- Pour the milk and yeast into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir until the yeast has dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients and, using the dough hook, knead at a medium speed until the dough has fully formed and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl. Let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
- Flour a workspace on your counter and tip the dough out onto it. Press the dough flat and divide into 15-20 equal sized pieces. flour your hands and shape each piece into a nice round ball. Place off to the side and let them rise for another 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 425°f and place a baking tray into the oven to heat up with it.
- Dust your workspace with a healthy amount of flour, (believe me that you will need quite a bit to avoid sticking) and place one of the buns onto the space. Roll the bun out into 8 inch diameter rounds. They don’t necessarily have to be round. Do so by slowly rotating them while rolling and then flipping and repeating. Continue with the remaining buns. dust with flour on top of each finished one so they may stack well.
- For the bake, you will place each round on the preheated baking sheet and bake for 5 minutes. You can go for 7 minutes for a slightly darker and crispier look. They do not have to stay in the oven until they are crisp though. They will crisp on their own as they dry and cool. Allow them to cool on a wire rack after baking. They may be stacked to cool as there will be many.