A cracker-style bread laced loaded with whole grains, seeds and everything bagel seasoning, this crunchy bread from Norway makes a hearty, energy-boosting snack or the perfect foundation for open faced sandwiches, melts, eggs, and avocado toast.
I first discovered Knekkebrød at Aldi, in one of their seasonal aisles where they feature interesting foods. I saw the title “Everything Bagel Norwegian Crisp Bread” and it caught my eye. I picked it up and noticed that every piece had 5 g of fiber. I’d been searching for more good sources of fiber, so I picked it up and brought it home and gave it a try. It was totally delicious … crunchy and seedy and sturdy enough to hold just about anything I wanted to pile on top, and seriously, you guys, I sometimes REALLY piled on the toppings. (Kind of like I do with my tostadas!)
But as my supply of crispbread from Aldi started waning (and it was no longer in stock), I started wondering if I could make this at home? Surely it couldn’t be that hard, right?
Luckily I found a blogger who had already attempted knekkebrød as part of a bread-making challenge. It seemed really easy … so I tried it, adding my own little “everything bagel” twist because I’m totally smitten with everything bagel seasoning. It’s amazing on avocado toast, and tuna melts, and salads and veggies … and um, just about everything. But especially avocado toast and tuna melts.
It’s so easy to make, too! None of the “regular” bread fuss that you normally have to worry about … there’s no proofing or kneading and very little wait time. You simply mix the ingredients together, let the dough rest for about 5 minutes, press it thin in a big flat baking sheet, bake and score.
What’s the history of Norwegian Knekkebrød?
I was wondering how this marvelous crisp bread came to be, so I did a search. I didn’t find a whole lot of info, but North Wild Kitchen reports that this crisp bread “probably originated in Scandinavia close to 500 years ago. Some sources say that crisp bread was a staple of the Vikings as they could store them for long periods of time. These crisp breads would have been baked on hot stones, while today’s knekkebrød is baked in the oven.”
I can imagine that Knekkebrød were easy to tuck into pockets and bring along, as sturdy as it is. Nutrient, protein and fiber-dense, these crunchy breads make a great snack or a crunchy foundation for a sandwich. I love to pile on scrambled eggs and tomatoes, or smear on some Irish pub cheese, hummus, mushroom pate, chicken salad (or better yet, tuna salad!) then add avocado, cheeses, chopped onion, sliced tomato, or a few greens. It’s really pretty amazing. I keep a supply of this yummy Scandinavian crisp bread on hand at all times for quick meals and snacks.
You can definitely switch up the ingredients to your own liking or whatever you have in your pantry. Someday I might switch it up, but right now I’m pretty stuck on this recipe just as it is.
Print
Everything Bagel Norwegian Crisp Bread | Knekkebrød
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 20 crisp breads 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Nordic
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Adapted slightly from My Cooking Journey
A savory, crisp, cracker-style Scandinavian bread that is easy to make, keeps for weeks and makes a delicious base for open-faced sandwiches, avocado toast and scrambled eggs. Chock full of healthy seeds and whole grains!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup whole grain rye flour or whole wheat flour
- 3/4 cup oat bran (or quick cooking oats)
- 1/4 cup oat fiber (or wheat bran)
- 1/4 cup sesame seeds
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
- 1/4 cup pepitas (roasted pumpkin seeds)
- 2 Tablespoons flax meal
- 1 teaspoon dried minced onion
- 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
- 1 – 2 Tablespoons Everything Bagel Seasoning
Wet ingredients:
- 1 – 1 1/4 cups water, warmed
- 1/2 Tablespoon honey or maple syrup
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. and line a large (12×16 inch) baking sheet with silicon baking mat or parchment paper.
- In a medium/large mixing bowl, stir together all the dry ingredients.
- In a separate smaller bowl, stir together 1 cup of the warmed water and the honey until well mixed.
- Add the honey water to the larger bowl and stir gently. Let rest for 3 – 5 minutes to allow the water to be absorbed into the grains a bit, then stir again. You should have a slightly thick, nicely wet batter. Add a bit more water if the dough is stiff.
- Pour the batter onto the prepared pan and use a spatula to spread it evenly into a very thin layer spanning the entire pan. Try to make sure it’s just as thin in the middle as it is on the edges. For extra flavor and effect, sprinkle with a bit more everything bagel seasoning and lightly press into the dough.
- Bake at 350 F. for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a dough cutting tool or knife to score the dough or cut into about 20 pieces, roughly even in size. Return to the oven and bake for 30 – 40 minutes longer or until the bread is golden brown on top and crisp.
- Let cool and enjoy! Will keep for several weeks in a bag. If the crisp bread softens over time, toast it in a toaster oven to freshen and re-crisp it.
Notes
I’ve tried this with both rye and whole wheat flour and found that the rye flour is easier to handle/spread.
© Copyright 2021, Sumptuous Spoonfuls. All images & content are copyright protected. I love it when you share, but please do not use my images on your own site/page without prior permission. If you want to publish any of my images, please ask first. Sharing, pinning, and tweeting is always appreciated as long as the shares and pins link back to here for the recipe. If you want to republish this recipe as your own, please re-write the recipe in your own words or link back to this post for the recipe.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 crisp bread
- Calories: 38
- Carbohydrates: 4.6 g
- Fiber: 3.3 g
- Protein: 1.5 g
Keywords: Bread, Crisp bread, Scandinavian, Swedish, Nuts, Seeds, Fiber, Heart healthy
3 comments
[…] really love my omelet avocado toast on Norwegian Crisp Bread … that bit of crunch on the bottom makes me SOOoooo happy, but you can use any type of […]
When I tried to print this recipe, your ads kept covering the recipe text. Very disappointing. I woynd up having to hand write the recipe.
Did you click the Print recipe button? I just tried it and I noticed there is an ad covering up part of the recipe. I will share that with my ads provider and tell them that’s not acceptable.
Thank you SO much for letting me know, Sissy.
Ann