Flatkaka

Icelandic Flatkaka (Rye Flatbread)

A thin, pale Icelandic flatbread made from rye and wheat flour, cooked quickly on a dry pan and rolled in a tea towel to stay soft. Traditionally served warm with butter and smoked lamb or smoked trout.

Prep

15 min

Cook

20 min

Total

35 min

Serves

6 flatbreads

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •150 g (1¼ cups) rye flour, medium or dark; do not substitute with pumpernickel
• •150 g (1¼ cups) plain wheat flour, all-purpose, plus extra for rolling
• •5 g (1¼ tsp) baking powder
• •4 g (¾ tsp) fine salt
• •180 ml (¾ cup) buttermilk, whole milk plus 1 tsp lemon juice works in a pinch
• •80 g (⅔ cup) cold cooked rolled oats, optional, traditional farm-style addition; cooked and cooled
• •60 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened, for serving
• •300 g (10½ oz) hangikjöt (smoked lamb) or smoked trout, for serving; thinly sliced

Steps

1. 1 Whisk the rye flour, wheat flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. Stir in the cooked oats if using.
2. 2 Pour in the buttermilk and mix with a fork, then bring together with your hands into a soft, non-sticky dough. If it feels dry, add buttermilk 1 tablespoon at a time; if sticky, dust with a little wheat flour. Do not knead.
3. 3 Cover the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes so the rye flour absorbs the liquid.
4. 4 Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces (about 80 g each). On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a round as thin as you can manage, about 2 mm (roughly 1/16 inch). The edges should be slightly ragged, like a rustic farmhouse loaf.
5. 5 Prick the entire surface of each round thoroughly with a fork, going right through to the board, so the bread stays flat while cooking.
6. 6 Heat a heavy dry skillet (cast iron is ideal) over medium heat until a drop of water skitters across the surface, about 180–200°C / 350–400°F. Do not add oil.
7. 7 Lay one flatbread in the dry pan and cook for 60–90 seconds on the first side, until small brown freckles appear and the surface looks matte and dry.
8. 8 Flip and cook 45–60 seconds on the second side. The bread should be pliable, not crisp; if it puffs up, prick it again.
9. 9 Transfer immediately to a clean tea towel, fold the towel over, and roll the bread up inside to keep it soft. Repeat with the remaining dough, stacking the rolled breads in the towel.
10. 10 To serve, unroll a flatkaka, spread with soft butter, and roll around thin slices of hangikjöt or smoked trout. If the bread has cooled and stiffened, refresh it for 5–8 seconds per side in the dry pan, or hold it briefly over a kettle of boiling water.