Monday, I made a recipe that Sam and I both love, and that qualifies it as a favorite recipe. It is quick and easy to make, and is definitely a comfort food. Flumkuchen. After we devoured the bread, I searched the internet for cracker recipes...and I found a delightful Canadian blog, Crackers. with the period. But, when I couldn't find their recipe for crackers, I did find their Crackers. group on Facebook, and joined it. Since they haven't gotten around to making crackers yet (busy with so many other wonderful projects), they asked me for my Flumkuchen recipe, which I posted...and here it is now for you...
Flumkuchen is a cracker bread. I say that loosely, as some or most other Germans may produce a distinctly different form of bread or dessert and call it Flumkuchen. As far as I know, this particular form is traditional on my mother's side, and possibly my father's side of the family, too—Parents and nine siblings are all 100 percent German.
Mom customarily made Flumkuchen, along with oatmeal (and maybe fried or scrambled eggs, oranges, and so forth), on Wash Day. Eating a hearty breakfast sustained her through many trips up and down the basement stairs! This is a very flexible and easy recipe that puts up with a lot of experimenting:
Tender - Delicious - Nutritious - Easy - Quick Fix - Flexible - Fun
Flumkuchen - the way I usually make it - Preheat oven to 275 degrees F. - INGREDS: 1/2 c organic all purpose flour, 1/2 c Wheat Montana whole white wheat Prairie Gold flour, OR all Prairie Gold (Mom used all purpose flour); 1/4 to 1/2 tsp sea salt; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp bread machine yeast; may add 1/8 to 1/4 c oat bran or wheat germ, but adjust liquid accordingly; 1/2 c milk; 1 T butter (probably oleo was traditional) or a healthy oil of choice; 1 to 2 tsp agave nectar (or sugar, maple syrup, honey, etc.).
Stir all of the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. If you use a microwave, in a small measuring cup heat the milk, butter and agave nectar about 50 seconds, until hot but it won't burn you. (Alternatively, heat the liquids in a saucepan on the stove.) Pour the liquids over the dry ingredients and quickly, briefly stir with a fork until a soft but pliable lump of dough is formed. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead lightly a few times into a smooth soft ball. Press the ball flat on a lightly floured surface and roll out very thin, between 1/16" and 1/8", thinner than cookie dough or typical pizza crust (or a little thicker, for even softer and chewier bread).
Do the dishes while the dough is resting, about 5 minutes. Dust any excess flour off the dough circle. Pull the middle oven rack out as far as you can without removing it. Deftly transfer the dough circle to the oven rack and don't worry if a little of it around the edges slips into the rack's cracks and you can't straighten it all without burning yourself. Bake 10 minutes then flip the bread over carefully and bake 5 minutes more. Experiment with oven time to get it the way you like it. We like a bit of brown flecking on both sides, and prefer the bread to be on the softer side, as it crisps up while cooling down. If various sized bubbles form on the surface, you have been a successful baker and may invite someone to pat you on the back. If not, the bread is still good, and everyone will be happy anyway. Yummy enjoyed hot with slathers of freshly churned butter......just kidding...organic butter or what have you. It isn't likely that any will be left over, but be assured that it is equally a treat when cold...topped with sardines and garlic (hahaha).
Thanks for letting me share this favorite German family recipe! :) I'm going to bake some right now, photographing the process for you. Please follow the captions...
This illustrates the flexibility of the recipe.Ingredients shown are:1) bottom left, organic all purpose flour 1/2 c2) bottom right, Prairie Gold flour 1/2 c3) top left, organic raw wheat germ 1/8 c, topped with4) 1/2 tsp flor de sel (special sea salt)5) top middle, 1/2 rounded tsp baking powder6) top below bkg pwdr, 1 rounded tsp bread machine yeast7) top right, 1 T organic oat bran
The prepped work surface.
After stirring my liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients,
the dough appeared too sticky to me...
so I added 1 tsp additional flour to what you see below,
and that amount was just right.
As you can see, when rolling out the dough,
it is perfectly fine to go with your random mood.
The look is about rustic, not perfection.
...Unless you are expecting royal guests,
in which case you may want to start with all pure white flour.
Placing the dough in the preheated oven is a delicate matter.
To spare fingers of blisters, the rustic look is further advised.
Ten minutes later...
wah-lah...nice bubbles!!
(My back-patter was outside at the time.)
Okay, let's flip this over.
April 27 Version (difference possibly due to mischievous weather change)
Five minutes later...the Flumkuchen is ready.
April 27 Version
If you are wondering what to do next,
slide the Flumkuchen from the oven
onto a preheated plate, and then
simply fold it while it is hot and bendable.
Or, do as my husband Sam says...
toss it in the middle of the table, up for grabs!
Mountains To Prairies Bed and Breakfast
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hill city - central black hills national forest - south dakota
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mount rushmore - 1880 train - custer state park
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