Kavring is a compact, sweetened rye bread, brought over from Denmark to the south of Sweden at the end of the middle ages. Dark, juicy, sweet, musty, and spicy, it is made with a mixture of rye and wheat flour, black treacle, porter, yoghurt and spices.

Classically, the rye is first scalded and fermented over one or two days to extend the life of the bread to a couple of weeks. This equally delicious and quick recipe uses bicarbonate soda instead and the bread stores for several days.

Just mix the wet and dry ingredients into a sticky dough, and soon you will have a wonderfully scented bread. I like to eat Kavring with butter and smoked salmon as well as with other fatty fishes such as herring and mackerel. It also goes well toasted with cheddar cheese, salami, or ham.

Makes: 1 loaf    Prep time: 20 min    Oven: 40 min

INGREDIENTS

Makes 1 loaf
Prep 20 min
Cook 40 min

Dry:
300 ml rye flour (130 - 150 g)
300 ml wheat flour (150 - 165 g)
1 ½ tsp bicarbonate soda
2 tbsp linseeds
1 tbsp fennel
1 tbsp aniseed
1 tbsp orange peel
1 tsp salt

Wet:
100 ml black treacle
100 ml dark porter or dark beer
250 ml plain yoghurt or Kefir
3 tbsp apricot jam or lingonberries

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200°C / 180°C Fan. Mix the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. Gradually, add the dry mix to the wet, working it into a sticky dough.

Transfer the dough to a greased non-stick bread loaf tin. Brush the top with a mixture of water and treacle. Bake for 40 minutes.

Tips: add fennel seeds on top.