In the Kantine Kitchen: Swedish Rye Crispbread
The round, vinyl record-sized crackers, made by the farmer’s wife and baked in her wood-fired oven, were like no other I’d tried before. They were wafer thin, brittle and with just the right amount of crushed caraway seeds and sea salt.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Scandanavian
Ingredients
Scale
- ½ ounce fresh yeast, or 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 cup lukewarm water
- 4 cups coarse rye flour, plus a bit more for dusting
- 1 tablespoon butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon caraway seeds, crushed (optional)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Flaked salt, as garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl, stir yeast and lukewarm water together until yeast is dissolved. Allow to stand at room temperature for 10 minutes. Stir in 4 cups flour, butter, caraway seeds (if using) and kosher salt. The dough may seem a bit wet, but that can be adjusted later. Cover and let rest for 45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 450°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide the dough in half, and then divide each half into 4 balls.
- Sprinkle rye flour on the work surface and roll 1 ball out into a disk, about 8 inches in diameter and very thin. If the dough seems too sticky to handle, be more liberal with the rye flour. Gently transfer the disk to parchment paper. Roll a decorative rolling pin over the disk or, alternatively, prick it evenly with a fork. Punch a 2-inch hole in the middle of the disk using cookie cutter or glass. Sprinkle a bit of water on the disk, followed by a dash of flaked salt.
- Bake for 5 minutes, turn the bread over and return to oven for additional 5 minutes. The bread should be cooked through and just beginning to color. Transfer to rack to cool completely before storing in airtight container. Repeat process with remaining dough balls.
- The breads should crisp up considerably when cooled. If not quite crisp enough, return to the 350°F oven for 7-8 minutes.
Notes
Suggested toppings:
Blanched asparagus and creamy goat cheese.
Slices of hard-boiled egg, mayonnaise and chives.
Sliced havarti cheese and cucumber slices.
Pickled herring in cream.
Thinly sliced ham with mustard.
Have you tried Kantine’s Swedish Cinnamon Knots?
Keywords: rye crispbread
Find it online: https://ediblesanfrancisco.com/recipes/swedish-rye-crispbread/