Crispbread[ CRISPBREAD] is a flat and dry type of bread, containing mostly rye flour. Crispbreads are lightweight and keep fresh for a very long time due to their lack of water. Crispbread is a staple food[ Medeltida trädgårdsväxter: Att spåra det förflutna ] and was for a long time considered a
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Origins
Finland and
Sweden have long traditions in crispbread consumption. The origin of the crispbread came from the earlier spisbröd 'stovebread' which was a similar but thicker kind of bread. These breads were baked from at least the sixth century in central Sweden.
They were usually hung above the stove to be dried. Traditional crispbread in Sweden and western Finland is made in this tradition with the form of a round flat loaf with a hole in the middle to facilitate storage on long poles hanging near the ceiling. It may also have been a way to keep the
away from them.
Traditionally, crispbreads were baked just twice a year: following harvest and again in the spring when frozen river waters began to flow.
[History of Crispbread – http://www.finncrisp.com/history ] The slim crispbread that is common today originated in eastern Värmland.
[Nils-Arvid Bringéus. ”Knäckebröd”. Nationalencyklopedin. Bokförlaget Bra böcker AB, Höganäs.] Sweden's first industrial crispbread bakery, AU Bergmans enka, began its production in
Stockholm in 1850. Rectangular Knäckebrot was first manufactured in
Germany in 1927, and has remained popular and readily available there ever since.
Crispbread in the household is most common in Sweden (figures published in 2003); in Sweden 85 percent of households have crispbread at home, while in Germany it is 45 percent and in France 8 percent.[Knäckebröd 03. Göteborgs-Posten, 2003.]
Ingredients
Crispbread traditionally consists of
wholemeal rye
flour,
salt, and
water. Today, however, many kinds of crispbread contain
wheat flour,
and
cereal, and are often
Leavening agent with
yeast or
sourdough, and
milk or
sesame seeds can be added.
In the case of unleavened crispbread, bubbles are introduced into the dough mechanically. Traditionally, this was done by mixing snow or powdered ice into the dough, which then evaporated during baking.
Another method is to knead the dough under pressure in an Food extrusion. The sudden drop in pressure then causes water to evaporate, creating bubbles in the dough.
Crispbread is only baked for a few minutes, at temperatures usually between 200 and 250 °C.
Serving
Crispbread itself is very dry and therefore served with a spread, like
butter, and optional toppings. Crispbread is usually a part of a daily meal. In Sweden and Finland crispbread and butter or
margarine are included in
. Crispbread might also be crushed into
yogurt or filmjölk in place of cereals or
muesli, and even used as a
pizza base.
In Sweden, crispbread is a common side dish for pea soup, as well as for pickled herring.
Gallery
Different types and shapes of commercial crispbread:
File:IKEA knäckebröd.JPG
File:Knäckebrot-1.jpg
File:Zwei Scheiben Knaeckebrot.jpg
File:Falu råg-rut.JPG
File:Swedish crisp bread.jpg
File:Näkkileipä.jpg
File:Thin crispbread.jpg
See also
Notes
