Serves: Makes 24 pieces
Approx cost: ~€0.70
Approx calories (per piece): ~52
Approx preparation and cooking time: ~20 minutes preparation, ~30 minutes total cooking time for all pieces
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #0B0B61;”]Greetings everyone, and I hope you’re having a fabulous Tuesday. I’m still in the vacation spirit, so I’ll be rolling out another couple of Swedish recipes before I give it a break for a bit and start exploring other areas of world cuisine (and believe me – I’ve already got a few ideas up my sleeve for that!).
Before we get to that, I was recently tagged by Charlie from HotlySpiced to answer 10 questions about myself – I hope my answers will give a little window into myself and help you get to know me a bit better! Without further ado:
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Describe yourself in seven words
Hmm, well I guess I could be described as follows: Funny, creative, spontaneous, happy, dreamer, idealistic, opinionated
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What keeps you up at night?
The cat usually – skittering around the apartment at warp speed after having just used the kitty litter. If not that then I’m usually thinking about my next vacation, or the last one – whichever is closest 🙂
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Who would you like to be?
Myself, just with slightly fewer flaws 😉
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What are you wearing right now?
Black jeans, t-shirt, navy blue sweater – nothing special
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What scares you?
A great many things. Data loss is one of them.
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What are the best and worst things about blogging?
Best – meeting new people, discovering new things… techniques, foods, materials. I’ve made some good friends in my time online so far. People who would cause me actual, real sadness if they suddenly vanished from their blog and moved on to other things. Not only that, but I’d never tried quinoa until my blogging adventures, among many, many other things 🙂
Worst – it’s very time intensive. I’ve actually reached a point where I need to start taking a step back a little. I love blogging, and I want to keep up my “one every three days” posting schedule, and I love the interaction – I love reading other peoples’ blog posts but I find it so hard to keep up with it. It’s turning into a second full-time job almost, coupled with the cooking, the photographing and the post-writing so I need to manage my time a bit better, as well as focussing on creating quality content for my site. I don’t want my hobby, and love, to turn into a chore
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What was the last website you visited?
Steam – wanted to buy a game (what, you think I spend every second of my free time cooking? 😀 )
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What is the one thing you would like to change about yourself?
Just one thing? Oh boy – well, I guess I wouldn’t mind being a bit less frivolous with money. There’s always something I want to buy. I’m slowly changing that habit though.
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Slankets – yes or no?
Well, I had to look them up, but dear God – definitely “no”. If you want to keep warm, wear a dressing gown for crying out loud :p
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Tell us something about the person who tagged you.
I’ve just discovered Charlie a week ago or so, but from what I’ve seen so far she sure seems to love spicy food and creates dishes which look like they just came out of a quality restaurant so you should definitely check her out! 🙂
…And 5 tags of your choice…
Just five? Well, ok then – here you go people – consider yourself tagged. Play along if you wish!
- Sissi, from WithAGlass.com
- Eva, from KitchenInspirations
- Kristy, from Eat, Play, Love
- Ping, from Ping’s Pickings
- Shuhan, from Mummy, I Can Cook
Thanks for the tag, Charlie! 🙂
Now then – let’s talk bread! I don’t like making recipes which call for specific, niche tools which 99% of my readers would be completely unable to get, and believe me – I’ve never seen this particular tool available outside Scandinavia, but if you’re able to get it, more power to you – I’d recommend it. The tool I’m talking about is a kruskavel, or “textured” rolling-pin, a bit like the photo below.
If you can’t get your hands on one of these then I would recommend trying anyway with a regular rolling-pin, but just forking the dough all over before baking it.
Tunnbröd (Flat bread) comes in many shapes and forms in Sweden – you can even have both hard and soft varieties. This recipe will make a hard kind which is just perfect with some cheese and cucumber as a snack. You can even break it up and use it to dip into accompaniment of choice. Stored in a dry place, the bread will keep for a long time.
I used a pizza stone to bake the bread, to try and get a more traditional stone-baked look and taste, though you can just as easily use a baking sheet if you prefer. Enjoy! Before I forget as well, if you didn’t already do so, don’t forget to enter my most recent giveaway
Ingredients
- 160g Barley Flour or Coarse Rye Flour
- 160g Plain White Flour
- 200ml Water
- 4 tbsps Sunflower Oil
- 1.5 tbsps Dried Yeast
- 2 tsps Anise Seeds
- 2 tsps Fennel Seeds
- 1 tsp Salt
You’ll also need
- Kruskavel, or “textured rolling pin” (Optional)
- Pizza stone (Optional)
- A Mortar and Pestle
Instructions
- Start off by pre-heating your oven to 250 degrees Celsius. If you’re using a Pizza stone make sure you place this in the oven when the oven is still cold, and allow it to heat up for about one hour prior to use. Next, heat the 200ml of water gently until it feels warm to the touch. Mix about 5 tbsps of it with the yeast in a small bowl and set aside to activate while you prepare the next ingredients.
In a Mortar and Pestle thoroughly pound up the anise and fennel seeds. Mix with the flours and salt in a large bowl and then pour in the oil. Mix well using a balloon whisk or similar implement to ensure the oil is evenly distributed throughout the flour and doesn’t clump anywhere.
- When the yeast start bubbling on top add it to the flour mixture, along with the rest of the water and mix well to form a dough. Add a little extra flour or water as needed to ensure the dough is not too sticky or too dry and then turn out onto a floured surface. This dough does not need to be proved, and as such, little kneading is required. Knead on the board for a couple of minutes, just to ensure everything is well mixed and any pockets of flour are worked out. Finally, form the dough into a long, evenly-shaped sausage and cut into 24 equally sized pieces. Roll these pieces into balls and dust with flour.
- Roll out very thinly using the textured rolling pin. The diameter of the discs should be about 15cm. Transfer to the oven, in a tray or on the pizza stone, and bake for 4 – 5 minutes. Keep a good eye on the bread as it can go from beautiful golden brown to burnt very quickly! Repeat until all 24 pieces have been baked.
- Once cool, store in a dry place – I keep mine in a basket lined with a cloth in my cupboard. Simply draping a clean cloth over the top is sufficient to keep the bread in good condition. Top with some cheese, maybe some cucumber or pepper for a nice sandwich, or maybe some hummus for an excellent snack! Enjoy 🙂
What great answers and thanks for the supportive and kind words. I know the feeling of dread of data loss. It’s happened before and what scares me is how badly I am prepared for another loss. Why can’t I get it together! And what fabulous bread. I love that rolling pin! Talking of spending money fabulously, I must buy myself one of those! Great getting to know more about you Charles xx
Thanks Charlie. I actually have a plugin which backs up my blog database twice a day and syncs it with a folder on my home PC so hopefully, worst case scenario, if I do something dumb again, the most I’ll lose is 12 hours-worth of comments. The bread is a lot of fun and was really easy to make. Definitely something I’ll be doing regularly!
Mmm… this looks like something I’d LOVE to try. I like the fennel in it 🙂 And now since I don’t have one of those rolling pins, then I’ll just have to wait until I go to France and pop in for a cheese and “cracker” party 😉
…. or I can just do what you said and use a flat pin. But that’s boring. >_>
Thanks Fati – the fennel and anise seeds made a great flavour… I would probably even add a bit more actually! You’re definitely welcome any time for a cheese and cracker party 🙂
Oh Charles, did you have to mention data loss!! Now, I’m scared!! 🙂 I’m all about that rolling pin!! Gotta find that because I’d love to make this flatbread exactly as you have! I already did a quick search online and found textured rolling pins, not exactly as yours, but what a neat idea!!
Hi Linda, I found a couple on Amazon but they’re not the same, it’s true. If you’re unable to find one and still want one when I next go to Sweden, let me know! I’ll buy one for you and send it off in the mail right to you 🙂
Loved to hear a little bit about you! I loved your answer on “who would you like to be” what a fantastic answer! 🙂 Also….I love that roller pin!
Thanks Jen – When I bought it in Sweden I really lucked out because it was the last one they had in the store (on my last day)!!
It was nice to know a little more about you Charles.
I love the addition of fennel and anise in your recipe and that rolling pin is simply amazing. I love the pattern it makes in the bread
Thanks Sawsan! The rolling pin was the last one they had in the store so I was so lucky to be able to get it. The fennel and anise made for a great flavour in the bread, and it keeps for ages! I still have some left in my cupboard now!
Charles the flatbread sounds fantastic! I love the dry bread (I buy here one which is apparently from Finland, it’s very thin and delicious as a healthy snack). The rolling pin is on my shopping list when I go to Sweden 😉 I am a real kitchen gadget freak and often buy gadgets/tools only to ask myself for months what to do with them. Their mere presence makes me happy. (I must say I always find them useful eventually).
It’s so funny: Charlie has tagged Charles 😉 I have greatly enjoyed your answers. Thanks for tagging me! (Can I copy two of your answers, please? I would answer exactly like you to 5 and 6; ok, I’ll make efforts 😉 ). I must check what slankets mean…
Thanks Sissi! I’m really interested in the Finnish hard bread you buy. Does it have a name or a brand? I wonder if they sell it in France. I love trying new breads and things like this. I like kitchen gadgets, but I like to divide them into two distinct categories in my head:
1) Useful and/or time-saving
2) Useless
Things in the first category would be toasters (I don’t have one… I have only one plug socket in my kitchen (apart from the big group of plugs behind the oven for the refrigerator, oven etc) and a toaster wouldn’t fit 🙁 ), olive/cherry pitters, etc etc etc.
Things in the second category would be things which have been “given power” just for the sake of it… electric can openers, egg boilers (come on… you put a pan of water on with eggs. If you want them hard for sandwiches or whatever, just go away and leave them to boil for 8 minutes or so and then come back… simple as that!)
Looking forward to seeing your answers 🙂
I really enjoyed learning more about you, Charles. I agree with you about the slankets, by the way. 🙂 The textured flatbread looks so cute and the rolling pin is a perfect gift suggestion for the foodie who loves toys.
Although I don’t cook/post with anyone near the frequency and richness of detail that you do, although recently that may not seem to be the case, I understand needing to cut back so you can read the people you have friended/follow and still do the other things you need to do.
I want to finally start my quilting and setting myself up with a quilting stand, either upstairs in my computer room or downstairs in the living room where I have more room is the first step.
Hi A_Boleyn, thanks for your comment! Indeed, recently you’ve been quite the busy bee, posting a lot! I wish I could make some of those pork crackling biscuits! I’ve just never seen pork cracklings in France :'( Need to order them I guess!
I hope you’ll be posting about your quilting adventures – I’m looking forward to seeing your work!
You’re a few posts behind, Charles. 🙂
I hope you DO get the pork crackling. I’m going to make another batch soon with all the improvements that I have in mind. I think I’m using all the cooking as an excuse not to start on the quilting, plus I’m trying to figure out my camera. There’s so much to learn.
Indeed I was 🙂 As for the pork crackling – I’m going to set myself a task of finding some… somewhere. Even if I have to order 40 individual “snack” bags from that online English grocery store which delivers to France 😀
I hear you on the time commitment brother…love blogging but was just sharing with a friend that every once in a while on a ‘tired’ day, I’ll take a step back and think ‘what the hell I’m I doing?!!” :). I suspect we may all have those moments…and it makes sense to adjust accordingly. I’m with you.
The other thing that really resonated is the idea of suddenly losing a blogging pal who has become part of your life… considering I have more regular contact with my blogging community than most of my relatives, it would be a huge loss 😉
You’ve got me all emotional now Charles… :). Your flatbread looks terrific – that last photo is a beauty but I also really like the one with the cucumber and cheese…so many delicious options. Love your gaufre rolling pin – how cool!
Thanks Kelly – that cheese is great actually. It’s nothing “special”, and a real cheese connoisseur would balk at the idea of having it on a sandwich but it’s a Swedish cheese called “Hushållsost” (Household Cheese). It’s cheap, it’s mild, and it comes in giant cylindrical blocks of 1 or 2 kilos. You can plonk it on the table and have the family make their sandwiches out of it, using the “Osthyvel“! Sandwiches in seconds 😀
I know some day, if I keep doing this long enough, that I will lose touch with people I’ve met through blogging… I just hope it’s not any of you guys! 🙁
Now you know I don’t eat much bread.. but I do like flat bread and I never knew how to make it until now. Yes Charles, you have taught me something great today and I can’t wait to try out this recipe 🙂
Thanks Kay! Let me know if you give it a try – it’s pretty delish!
Love that rolling pin and the flatbread…. good to know more about you. This reminds me of Papad or Matzoh:)
As far as blogging being a second full-time job.. I’m beginning to feel that way too LOL!
Hi Malli – It’s a lot more “full” than papad or matzo, although speaking of the latter, that’s something I really want to try because I think it’s just flour and water, right?
That flatbread looks great and that rolling pin is the coolest. I like your answers, short and sweet. The dogs wake us up at night all the time.
Hi Greg – I’d love a dog… wouldn’t mind being woken up to a wonderful faithful friend! Sigh… one day maybe 🙂
oooh another tag! haha ok I will try to do it soon! reallye njoyed reading your answers hehe
“A great many things. Data loss is one of them.”TOTALLY AGREE.
and i love that line about how you just want to be yourself, with less flaws.
Hi Shuhan, thanks for coming by – glad you enjoyed the post. I think it’s no use to yearn to be anyone else. I think it’s always best to focus on bettering yourself… after all, no-one’s perfect! 🙂
I really enjoyed reading about you, as we often just talk about food, not about the person behind the blog. And we don’t get to meet, so it’s a slow process in a way to get to know someone. Anyway, glad to know you more. About the blogging, I completely agree on both. I just wanted to say I’m a lot happier and healthier after cutting down to 2 posts a week (instead of 3). I actually have time to breathe without worrying about writing new post quickly or answering accumulated emails. I feel I should produce better quality posts for all readers (silent readers especially who care less about my socializing but actually spend a lot of time using my recipes). So it’s been good balance so far. I thought I should let you know as I was in your dilemma at the end of last year. Your flat bread looks yummy! I’ve never made one from scratch. I should involve my kids to do it – or maybe they might even make more mess.
Hi Nami, I don’t think you need to worry about creating higher quality posts! Your site is already pretty darn awesome! It’s nice to be able to have a night and not think about blogging every now and again though – I had an evening just like that the other day – it felt good to relax… unplug… for a bit 🙂
I reckon this would be a great project to get yours kids involved in. I bet they’d love rolling out the little dough balls! 🙂
I’ve seen textured rolling pins, too! It’s been a while – but it’d be worth looking one up to make these flat breads…they look amazing!
Thanks a lot Ann – if you’re able to find any somewhere, please do let me know. Linda was mentioning wanting one in another comment too so I’m sure she’d be interested 🙂
This bread looks delicious Charles! I love flat breads and I really love the pattern that rolling pin makes on the dough.
Had to laugh about the cat keeping you up at night. Mine do that as well. My Charlie will crawl all over me and keep nudging my hands to get me to pet him. And then there’s our old (now deaf) cat that roams around the house making these awful meow noises. Honestly I don’t know how the kids sleep through it. It’s the most bizarre noise.
Thanks for the tag! We’ll definitely play along. 🙂 And I can’t wait to see what other worldly cuisine you’re going to whip up.
Aw, bless – my parents’ cat did that too. It got all old and decrepit and stone-deaf I think and used to wander around making this plaintive, tinny meow, poor thing 🙂 My wife’s old cat (a real battle-cat… like 15 kilos) was the best cat I ever knew though. Never in my life had I met a cat which acted so much like it actually “liked” you… you know how fickle cats can be! This cat would sit on top of the washing machine and put its front two paws on your shoulders as you walked past and you would give it a big hug and then it would walk away all happy. Such a cutie.
Looking forward to seeing your answers 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Enjoyed reading a little about you, especially as I am new to your blog. And I loved the look and sound of this bread…anis, yum! Don´t have a rolling pin like that but here in Andalucía we have bottles of anis for drinking which (when empty) people use as percussion instruments as they are textured. Yes, I´m being serious. As I am not at all musically minded I never know what to do with the bottles but can´t bear to throw them out as they are so gorgeous…..ta, da! Now I have a much better use for my anis bottles 🙂
Thanks Chica, that sounds like an awesome use for the anis bottles (personally I’d just pour out all the anis as I can’t stand the stuff! 😀 – the seeds and faint flavour in bread is fine, but the drink…. yeurgh).
Hope you’re able to give it a try, and glad you enjoyed the post 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Congrats on the tag, Charles, and thank you for tagging me! What fun, although I may have to wait for the weekend to post.
This flat bread recipe does look delicious and I’m totally all over that really cool rolling pin (I’ve wondered what they were for!). I’ve made my own recipe for a flat bread, and to get a consistent thickness I run it through my electric pasta maker from 1 all the way down to 4 and it works you fantastic. But I can certainly see using this rolling pin instead (I’ll have to make my way down to my favourite kitchen store in St. Lawrence Market this weekend; oh well, the sacrifices I make!)
https://kitcheninspirations.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/evas-whole-wheat-flatbreads/ this version is made into ‘natcho-size’ because I took these over to my sister-in-laws with a dip and I didn’t want the kids to know they were home made (some kids are funny that way!)
Thanks Eva – I love the rolling pin – I was so lucky… when I went into the store, it was the last one they had so I really got lucky there! I love the look of your flatbreads – they look really fantastic. So neatly cut too. I do think it’s a shame though that some kids would actually enjoy them less (or rather “not enjoy them” if they knew they were home-made 🙁 Because General Mills is actually capable of cooking better stuff then people in their own kitchen!!! 🙁 🙁
Let me know if you’re able to find the rolling pin 🙂
What a cool texture for the flatbread! Looks good!
And you should totally get Skyrim if you want a good game. I’ve heard wonderful things about it! 🙂
Thanks Stefanie 🙂 As for Skyrim – I’ve gone off MMOs a bit right now… more into FPSs. In the end I wanted to buy something like Call of Duty or Modern Warfare but I really didn’t want to drop €50 on a game I’ll probably spend a few hours playing so I bought a €15 James Bond game – Quantum of Solace. I wouldn’t mind a bit more “world interaction” but the story line is quite fun to follow along 🙂
Its great to learn more about you. I completely agree with you on the worst things about blogging! I love the textured rolling-pin, I’ve never seen one before. I have also never made my own bread and am always amazed at everyone else’s and yours is no exception. This year I will bake my own bread… at some point!
Thanks BakingAddict – I can’t believe you’ve never made your own bread?! Wow … you HAVE to try it. I don’t think there’s anything more satisfying actually, than making your own bread. I don’t buy bread any longer at all, unless I want a real “specialty” bread. Every Saturday or Sunday I make up 3 loaves and they’ll last me for the week ahead! 🙂
I’m a real texture person, so I love the rolling pin and flat bread. I’ll be interested to see if Eva finds the rolling pin at the kitchen shop in St.Lawrence market. My mom’s close friend is from Denmark and she has a place where she buys her Danish equipment so I’ll have to check with her. I’ve always wanted to buy an aebleskiver pan — maybe I’d splurge on both at the same time. Do you also make aebleskiver in Sweden?
Hi Barb – I’d love to know if she finds it too… I couldn’t find any of the rolling pins like this on Amazon so hopefully they’ll sell them *somewhere*.
I asked my wife about aebleskiver and she’d never heard of them… I looked them up, they look fantastic! We’re having dinner with a Danish colleague tomorrow so I’ll have to ask him about them. Would love to try them – thanks for introducing me to them 🙂
Charles – I really enjoyed learning more about you and seeing a lot of similarities – idealists but yet opinionated, cat lover, and a bluejean and T-shirt kind of person. Oh Yeh! I definitely related to blogging being a part-time job. I love it, but when I was trying to post 2 to 3 times a week, stress started kicking in. Dropping down to 1 to 2 times a week is quite doable and enjoyable, and still allows me time to surf other blog sites as well as work my paying job. 🙂 Good to know you better my friend! Great flatbread recipe! The anise and fennel make this very intriguing. It’s been bookmarked!
Thanks MJ! Of course, in an ideal world, blogging would pay the bills, but alas it doesn’t and so we still need to work “regular” jobs 😀
I gotta say that my entire wardrobe pretty much consists of jeans and t-shirts. I don’t really ever have any opportunity to dress up (even my work is jeans and t-shirt) so over the last few years my “dress shirts” and jackets have kind of disappeared in favour of something which is actually comfortable 😀
Glad you liked the look of the recipe – let me know if you give it a shot!
They used to sell this really delicious flatbread topped with sesame and poppyseeds at my sueprmarket, but then it disappeared. I’ve been looking for it ever since, but to no avail. After reading this post, I think I might just make myself some flatbread since it looks so easy. I love your rolling pin, by the way.
Thanks Kyleen. Don’t you just hate it when stores remove an entire product line, never to be stocked again? There’s a line of small crisp breads called “Krisprolls” (They’re Swedish – I made them once here). Anyway, they’re sold in normal “white flour” versions, and also “whole-grain”. Stores in England completely removed the white flour versions… like… stopped selling it completely. My father was mad because he loves the things. They still sell them in France though, so sometimes I send him a “care package” filled with Krisprolls 😀
I recently got tagged too but need to sit down and answer the questions this weekend. I agree you make wonderful blogging buddies all over the world but does take time away from other things. I too have to learn how manage my time. I’m getting over a darn cold and that kept me behind on reading everyone’s posts.
I wonder how this would taste without yeast? Sometime yeast upsets my stomach, I’ll have to try it and experimet. What a cool rolling pin. My kids (esp. my 2 year old) keeps me and hubby up all night! LOL
Hi Lisa – I’m not sure to be honest. I need to try, but as the bread isn’t left to rise and baked immediately I wonder if you couldn’t just stick in some baking powder for the same effect. I must try it again sometime – once without baking yeast, and then once without yeast and with baking powder and I’ll report back! 🙂
Whoa! I’d almost miss this fantastic post. If it hadn’t for Sissi telling me I’d been tagged, I’d have totally. Another addition to my list of munchies to make. And another thing to look out for besides the pearl sugar…. the rolling pin. I suppose I could use that meat tenderizer hammer thingy to bash this? 😀
Thanks for the tag, Charles. It will be awhile before I can put that up .. it is technically still Chinese New Year (15 days!) and I’m so behind in posting and visiting blogs etc and I’m not even talking about non-virtual stuff yet 😛
Hi Ping – good idea… if you rolled it flat you could probably get some good imprints going on by pushing the hammer into it… Nice one 🙂
Looking forward to seeing your answers, but enjoy your new year in the meantime 🙂
Thanks for the tutorial, clear and easy to understand. Cool rolling pin.
Thanks so much Norma – it was a lot of fun using the rolling pin! If you like baking, and flat bread, I’d definitely recommend trying to get a hold of one! 🙂 Thanks for dropping by my site today 🙂
My grandmother made a thin bread with potato water and all-purpose flour for all family occasions. My English grandfather made her a Swedish rolling pin; however I have seen them in Scandinavian stores in Washington State.
Hi Linda – the thin bread with potato water sounds wonderful, and fascinating – would you feel like sharing the recipe? I’d love to try it! It’s so sweet your grandfather made her a rolling pin – they’re really useful – I love mine, but it doesn’t beat a home-made one I think 🙂
Hello, I’m a newcomer to your site and wanted to say thanks for all the great Swedish recipes!
I also wanted to add that having searched for a kruskavel for many months, or indeed an English translation of the word kruskavel… you can buy something similar in the UK (or online) with the name ‘roller docker’ or ‘dough docker’ – they are used for making pizza, apparently. I am now the proud owner of a plastic one which I bought online for less than £10. Not as traditional as a wooden one, but it does the job. I have been using it to make my family’s regional variety of tunnbrod with some success, but unfortunately nothing compares to the ‘real thing’ baked in the stone oven!
Hi Sally, thanks so much for stopping by. I just looked up the dough docker online. It’s definitely a substitute… nice way to get that kind of dimpled effect in the dough, although do you find it pokes all the way through the dough? The prongs on the docker look quite sharp and long, compared to the kruskavel which is very blunt and flat.
Next time I visit my parents-in-law in Sweden I might buy two more kruskavels and then give them away on my blog here… people seemed quite interested in them last time 🙂