Knackerbrod

Week Nine: Flatbreads

Note: I am out of the country this week.  I did actually make all these breads, and tried to make the effort to write posts for them all, but I didn’t quite make it.  I hope this will suffice until I get back on Monday!

I’m very sorry.  This recipe is no good.  I think this is the first bread (or any food, really) that I’ve made in a very long time that I will not only never make again, but wish I hadn’t made in the first place.  Maybe it was some fault of mine.  I know there are some good Knackerbrod recipes out there; this just isn’t one of them.  Please don’t give up on this bread just because of this.

Why was it so bad?  It was very difficult to roll out, as the dough didn’t really hold together at all, and was very tough.  The breads turned out hard and almost impossible to eat, though they did soften a little after sitting on the counter for a couple of days (strange, isn’t it?).  But they did turn out pretty, didn’t they?

Knackerbrod
From Bread by Christine Ingram and Jennie Shapter

4 cups rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 1/4 teaspoon yeast
9 fl. ounces water
2 cups wheat bran

1.  Lightly grease 2 baking sheets.  Preheat the oven to 450º F.  Mix the rye flour and salt in a large bowl. Rub in the butter, then make a well in the center.

2.  Cream the yeast with a little water, then stir in the remainder.  Pour into the center of the flour, mix to a dough, then mix in the bran.  Knead on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until smooth and elastic.

3.  Divide the dough into eight equal pieces and roll each one out on a lightly floured surface to an 8-inch round.

4.  Place two rounds on the prepared baking sheets and prick all over with a fork.  Cut a hole in the center of each round using a 1 1/2 inch round cutter.

5.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the crispbreads are golden and crisp.  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.  Repeat with the remaining dough.