This thin, crunchy cracker is a nod to traditional Swedish knäckerbröd, or crispbread. The hearty combination of rye and wheat flours, touch of honey, and toasted sesame seeds and spices all add a surprising depth of flavor. This easy yet impressive homemade cracker complements cheese and Pickled Herring, or use it to scoop up a simple seafood salad.

This recipe was featured as part of our Summer Solstice menu.

  • Yield: 8 (10-inch) crackers
  • Difficulty: Easy
  • Total: 2 hrs 20 mins
  • Active: 1 hr 10 mins

Ingredients (8)

  • 1 cup warm water (about 110°F to 115°F)
  • 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 3/4 cups rye flour, plus more for rolling the dough
  • 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds, toasted
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt

Instructions

  1. Place water in a large bowl, sprinkle yeast on top, and let rest until yeast has dissolved, about 10 minutes. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Place dough on a surface sprinkled with rye flour and knead until smooth, about 5 to 10 minutes. (If the dough becomes too sticky, sprinkle it with additional rye flour as needed.)
  2. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a ball. On a surface sprinkled with rye flour (a warm spot is best), place dough balls at least 2 inches apart, cover with plastic wrap, and let rest until almost doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
  3. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F and arrange two racks to divide the oven into thirds. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
  4. Remove 1 dough ball from underneath the plastic wrap (keep the remaining dough balls covered) and place on a surface generously dusted with rye flour. Roll into a very thin, even round (until you can see the caraway seeds) about 10 to 11 inches in diameter, turning the dough often to keep it from sticking. Using a knife or a 1-inch circular cookie cutter, cut a hole in the middle of the round (this makes it easy to cool the crackers on the handle of a wooden spoon). Place the round on one of the prepared baking sheets and repeat rolling and stamping a second round, placing it on the other baking sheet. Discard the cut-out dough centers.
  5. Place both baking sheets in the oven and bake until the crackers have lightened in color but are not yet browned, about 6 minutes. Rotate the baking sheets between racks and continue baking until the crackers are dark brown all over and crisp, about 4 to 6 minutes more. Transfer the crackers to a wire rack or long wooden spoon handle (anchored to a counter or table) to cool. Repeat with remaining dough balls. Store the crackers in an airtight container for up to 10 days.