Knäckebröd or Swedish crispbread... - Lost in a Pot (2024)

A brief history of knäckebröd

National Library of Norway, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Swedish knäckebröd or crispbread’s origin dates back to Sweden’s 6^th century, which predates the Viking era. It is said that this hard bread was derived entirely in Sweden*, but by whom and at what exact place has been lost to history. The original crisp or hard bread was much different from what we eat today and I don’t believe many would consider it palatable. The bread was likely made with barley and very little water to encourage a long storage life. In his book “A Description of the Northern Peoples“, published in 1555, Olaus Magnus wrote that crispbread baked at the birth of a child could stay until the child’s day of engagement. Food historians say that the bread was so hard that it had to be soaked in a warm drink so as to make it eatable.

*Yes, knäckebröd is a flatbread, and yes the origin of flatbreads dates back thousands of years but made in this fashion appears to be of Swedish origin. Doesn’t matter to me where it came from, it’s good stuff…

The knäckebröd was made into large rounds with holes in the middle. This was so it could be hung up on drying rods to dry, but also to deter the rats from eating them (above images). This was especially important during the long and cold winters.Although it’s no longer common to hang knäckebröd on a rod, the round crispbread with the hole remains popular today.

Nils Keyland, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Beginning in the 18^th century the barley flour was replaced with rye flour and the first knäckebröd bakeries emerged and the evolution of the modern crispbread began. The very first bakery was called AU Bergman’s ENKA after Arnold Ulrik Bergman and was located in Södermalm, Stockholm.

In 1941 the bakery was purchased by Wasabröd AB, which is now the largest manufacturer of crispbread in the world. But, in 1999 Wasabröd AB became part of the Barilla Group Brands. You know, the pasta guys from Italy.

We do still have a Swedish owned major player in the crispbread marketplace that began its roots in the 19th century, Leksands Knäckebröd.

Leksands was founded by Jacobs Karin in the early 19th century when she started manufacturing crispbread in her small kitchen. Today, the company is guided by Jacobs Karin’s sixth-generation descendants. If you have three and a half minutes, the video above is a good view of their history.

The now popular rectangular knäckebröd was first manufactured in 1927 in Germany and is known there as knäckebrot.

During WWII knäckebrot became an integral part of the German iron ration (like the US K-ration).

The size caught on, and today it’s likely the most common shape of crispbread.

Which one is my favorite knäckebröd? My homemade (recipe coming up), but as far as commercially made, Wasa 100 is my go-to crispbread.

Here we go, step-by-step…

The ingredient list includes bread flour (or AP), coarse rye flour, whole milk, yeast, salt, flaxseed (whole), sunflower seeds, sesame seeds (not in the image), caraway seeds, and flaky sea salt like Maldon. Note, you can use water instead of milk, but milk makes for a better crispbread.

I’ve included this image to show the difference between coarse rye and flour. Coarse rye is also called Flaky Rye Meal-Coarse, coarse whole-grain rye, and pumpernickel rye flour. When we lived in the US we found it in the bulk dry goods section at Whole Foods, but I don’t know if they still handle it. We also ordered Organic Pumpernickel Flour from KA flour. In the end, just try to use the coarsest rye flour you can find.

Begin by setting up your stand mixer using your recommended dough hook/paddle/roller. This is a very heavy dough, so unless you have a very powerful stand mixer (mine is 1500 watts), you will need to hand mix in a large bowl. Next, warm the milk to the touch, about 105° and 115°F (41 – 46°C). While the milk is warming, blend the two flours and salt in a large bowl. Next, add the yeast and stir to blend all.

Now, add the warmed milk into your stand mixer bowl. Then, with the mixer running at a low speed, slowly add the mixed flour, reserving half of a cup. Then slowly add your flax and sunflower seeds. Continue mixing on low speed until the dough forms into a ball and cleans the bowl (about 4 minutes). If your dough is too wet, slowly add the rest of the flour mixture. If the dough is too dry, add a touch of water. Then knead the dough in your mixer on medium speed for about 6-8 minutes.

Or, if mixing by hand, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for 8-10 minutes. Divide your dough into 6 pieces the same size and roll them into round balls. Cover the dough balls with a tea cloth and let the dough proof in a warm area for 20-30 minutes.

Go ahead and preheat the oven to 250°C (480°F) or 225°C ( 437°F) convection/fan. Dust your board with rye flour and work with one ball at a time, leaving the remaining balls covered. Now, roll your dough ball out with your rolling pin to about 15 cm (6”) diameter circle. After it’s rolled out, move it to a parchment baking sheet. Once on the parchment paper, roll again making it as thin as you can, or to about a 30 cm (12”) diameter circle. Remember though, the thinner the crispbread the crispier it will be. You can go artisan here and not worry about making them into perfect circles. If you want a perfect circle, cut them using a large plate as a guide. Sprinkle the top of your crispbread first with the salt flakes, then the sesame seeds and cumin seeds. Next, lightly roll your bread one last time to press in the toppings.

Now, dock or make small holes in the bread. This can be done with a pizza docker, fork, or a kruskavel (a Swedish rolling pin for making a pattern on the crispbread).

The last step of rolling is to cut that small hole in the center. I used a small biscuit cutter. This is optional, but it makes it look traditional. Now, place the crispbread on the baking sheet onto your sheet pan.

Slide your pan into the hot oven and bake for 5 minutes. Now, gently flip over the crispbread and continue baking for about 3 more minutes. Once the crispbread is dry and hard, move it onto a wire rack for cooling. The time can vary from oven to oven, so keep your eye on your crispbread. While the first knäckebröd is in the oven, roll out your next crispbread. Continue this until you’ve baked all your crispbreads. I could only properly cook one at a time, but you might be able to do two.

Let your oven cool down to around 50°C (122°F), then place all of the crispbreads back into the oven for 30-40 minutes to finish drying them out. You can stack three knäckebröd on each of two racks in your oven. This process helps make them crisp.

For a fun option, instead of making a big knäckebröd, make mini knäckebröds. Follow all the steps up until cutting the hole in the center, but instead, use a bagel cutter to make little mini knäckebröds. They’re an Eva fav.

Cute insight: The little red-handled kruskavel (above right) is Eva’s. She got it when she was a wee little girl to help mama make knäckebröd. It’s small and old, but by gosh it still works…

Your baking time might be a little less for these, so keep an eye on the little rings of tasty joy.

Tie three or four with a red ribbon and you have a perfect Christmas giveaway.