Rye crispbread: baking the dream

Step 1

Weigh out the flours into a bowl.

Step 2

Mix in the salt and yeast.

Step 3

In a measuring jug, mix treakle, warm water, oil and spices until the treacle has dissolved. (Adding the spices to the liquids instead of the dry ingredients allows the flavours to develop more).

Step 4

Add the liquid to the flour and mix into a dough.

Step 5

Knead for a few minutes. The dough should be elastic and firm, not too loose.

Step 6

Let prove for an hour or more.

Step 7

Pre-heat the oven to 250C (230C fan).

Step 8

Divide the dough into four pieces.

Step 9

On a worksurface liberally dusted with dough, roll one quarter of the dough out thinly (a couple of millimeters).

Step 10

If using a filling, sprinkle onto half of the dough.

Step 11

Fold the unfilled section over the filled one.

Step 12

Roll out thinly again.

Step 13

Prick all over with a fork, pastry pricker or, if you have one, roll out with a kruskavel.

Step 14

Cut into shapes: use a pizza cutter to create shards or squares, or cookie cutters for more formal shapes.

Step 15

Place on a non-stick oven sheet and cook for 3-6 minutes (longer for larger and thicker pieces, shorter for thinner and smaller).

Step 16

It's fine for the crispbreads to go dark in parts, but they should not burn.

Step 17

Take them out and let cool on a wire rack.

Step 18

If they are not completely dried out, put them back in the oven on a very low heat (below 100C since they should dry, not continue cooking. I use 60C.) and leave until dry. Depending on how thick they are, this can take an hour or two.