Swedish Knäckebröd (Crisp Bread)

More and more people are starting making their own bread, today I will provide you with a recipe for a Swedish style bread, back in Sweden we call it knäckebröd. If you have ever visit IKEA, you might have tried or seen a knäckebröd it is a crispy flatbread and goes well with soups and cheeses. My favorite sandwich with knäckebröd, is a slice of bologna sausage and cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups rye flour, whole wheat is fine
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/3 cup milk

Directions

1. Combine flour, sugar and salt in mixing bowl or food processor and cut or pulse in butter.
2. Gradually add the milk with a spoon or pulse until you have a stiff dough.
3. On a lightly floured board roll out as thin as you can.
4. Cut dough into strips about 2″x3″ and punch lots of small holes in each.
5. Bake at 300 on lightly greased pan until lightly browned- about 10 minutes.
6. Cool on wire rack then store at room temperature.
7. Will keep 5-7 days.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast (or 1 package dry yeast)
• 2 cups lukewarm water
• 1/2 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon fennel, crushed or anise seed
• 3 1/2 cups coarse rye flour
• 1 1/2-2 cups wheat flour

Directions

1. Dissolve yeast in the water (if using dry yeast, follow instructions).
2. Add salt and fennel/aniseed.
3. Add rye and enough wheat flour to make a quite firm dough.
4. Knead vigorously for at least five minutes.
5. Divide into 16 parts and roll to balls.
6. Let rise, covered, for 40 minutes.
7. Heat the oven to maximum heat.
8. Roll out one piece at a time to a thin circle, 8-10 inches in diameter.
9. Use plenty of rye flour when rolling.
10. Make a one-inch hole in the middle.
11. Prick the surface all over with a fork (in Sweden we have special rolling pins for this purpose).
12. Bake one at a time on a dry tray in the oven for about 2-4 minutes.
13. They should get brown, but not too burnt.
14. Slip them on a stick (e. g. a broom) through the hole in the middle to cool.
15. Store in a dry place and eat with butter, cheese and/or pickled herring, maybe together with beer and aquavit.