Rye Crispbreads are a real treat, no we are not joking! Yes, you’re probably thinking of the dry no taste store-bought version. And yes, we agree that those are no fun. But there are a whole world of different varieties of crispbreads out there and the options are endless if you make them your self. So keep on reading and learn how this bread can make a meaningful change in your diet.

Crispbread history

According to the internet, crispbread is particularly popular in Scandinavia and have its origin in our neighbor country Sweden. However, it can be found in different varieties all over the world. Its popularity came from the long shelf life. After baking, crispbreads can keep for long and are best kept without packing and in low humidity. The more traditional shape is the round cake with a hole in the middle. This made the crispbreads easy to hang and stored out of way.

The health aspect of rye crispbreads

Depending on the types of flour and other ingredients you put into your crispbreads they will vary in nutritional value. As a rule of thumb there coarser the flour you use the better they are for you. In this recipe, we have chosen to use rye flour. Rye has high fiber content and is rich in vitamin E and B1. Vitamin E works as an antioxidant and protects our red blood cells. Vitamin B1 is an important part of our digestion when it comes to turning our food into energy. Rye will also ensure a slow long release of energy, that prevents unhealthy blood sugar increases. In other words, including rye in your diet can help prevent lifestyle diseases like diabetes type 2.

Keeping the rye crispbread healthy

Now one of the good reasons people turn to crispbreads when trying to lose weight is that it usually gives a lower calorie count. So, if you compare the number of calories of three slices of bread with three rye crispbreads, there is a difference. This means if you are trying to lose weight it is a good idea to stick to the tree slices and keeping the low-calorie count. Don’t double the number of crispbreads to stay full. If you are struggling with getting a feeling of being full, try adding healthy low-fat toppings, like ham, turkey, low-fat cheese or similar. Another trick here is again to add veggies. They give a nice filling and adds both texture and taste to your meal. Similarly, Fresh herbs and spices can also be a way to make the meal more attractive.

Crispbread varieties

There are tons of varieties of crispbreads out there. We in good cooking like to divide them into two categories, the raised versions, and the non-raised ones. The raised versions usually contain some kind of rising agents like natron, bicarbonate, sourdough or yeast. This version usually requires a bit of gluten in the game to make the end result puffier. As opposed to the raised version the non-raised can contain larger amounts of seeds and does not need much gluten, we have an example of those here. The larger amounts of seeds can make these crispbreads higher in caloric content. On the other side, they will probably affect the blood sugar levels even less.

Crispbread shapes

Crispbreads comes in all kinds of different shapes and sizes and as you can imagine it is only your creative imagination that sets the boundaries. Although we love the classic round shape it can sometimes be more practical with pizza slices shape or rectangular. One thing worth noting though is that the raised versions were in the old days usually rolled with a knobbly rolling pin. This was not only used to make the beautiful top pattern but also to prevent two layers forming and the crispbread to blow up like a pita. So whether or not you choose to invest in a rolling pin or any other nifty kitchen device, at least make sure you prickle the top of your bread with a fork before you bake (dry) them.

We will for sure post more crispbreads on the blog, and if you have an inspiring recipe you think we should try we would love to hear from you. Remember to follow us on Instagram and Facebook, this really helps us making this blog into a vault of recipes for a good life.