Knäkebröd (Rye Flatbread)

After becoming bored with the choice of crackers in the shops I decided to make some of my own. I remembered seeing a recipe in Trina Hanemann's Scandinavian Cookbook that was for some authentic Nordic crispy flatbreads.
I adapted the recipe a little as I didn't have aniseeds and used caraway seeds instead, which worked perfectly well.
The recipe was very easy to make and although my initial thoughts were perhaps there were too many oats that could have made the dough potentially on the rough side, I was proved wrong as they just disappeared into the mixture.

Be prepared for a session of batch baking unless you have an oven of industrial proportions, as it will take several tray loads to complete. I made rather more than than stated so they were slightly smaller. The important thing is to roll them thin.
I found the recipe's timings rather academic (no two ovens are the same) and had to make sure I kept an eye – and my nose – on them to know when they were ready.

They turned beautifully crisp and were rather moreish with a selection of good cheeses and chutneys.

Makes 10
Ingredients
50g fresh yeast
500ml lukewarm water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp honey
100ml sunflower oil
200g rye flour
200g rolled oats
250g plain white flour

Method
Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, then add the salt, caraway seeds, honey and oil and mix well.
Add the rye four, oats and half the white flour and mix for 5 minutes if using an electric mixer, or for 10 minutes if making the dough by hand. Sprinkle the rest of the the white flour over the dough and leave to rise for 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 220C (Gas 7) and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Knead the dough on a floured work surface, then divide it into ten equal pieces (I made more) and roll each one into a very thin disc. Lay the flatbreads on the baking paper and bake for 5-8 minutes until crisp.

Photo: ©childsdesign 2010