History
Rye bread was traditionally baked in pots or boxes buried in holes near hot springs, and the geothermal version is called hverabraud, hot-spring bread. Eating a lot of it is said to cause flatulence, which earned the loaf its nickname thrumari, roughly thunderbread. When Bernhoftsbakari began baking in 1834 it made little but rye bread, sifted bread, French bread, sour bread and country bread. Cafe Loki serves rye bread slices with plokkfiskur or smoked lamb and its own rye bread ice cream.
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Common allergens: Gluten
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 400g dark rye flour
- 200g plain flour
- 100g rolled oats
- 200g dark molasses or treacle
- 100g golden syrup
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 tsp caraway seeds (optional)
- 500ml buttermilk
- Butter for greasing a tall lidded tin (a coffee can or proper rugbraud tin)
Method
- Heat oven to 100C. Grease a tall lidded tin or a 1L coffee can generously with butter.
- Mix rye flour, plain flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and caraway in a large bowl.
- Warm the molasses, golden syrup, and buttermilk in a pan over low heat until just runny; do not boil.
- Pour wet into dry and stir to a thick batter. Tip into the tin; do not fill more than two thirds.
- Seal tin tightly with the lid or with two layers of foil and string.
- Bake at 100C for 7 hours; this slow steam-bake is what gives rugbraud its dense, dark crumb.
- Cool completely in the tin (overnight is best). Unmould, slice paper-thin with a serrated knife.
- Serve with cold salted butter, smoked lamb (hangikjot), or a slice of cheese and pickled herring.
Tip from the editors. To mimic hverabraud without a hot spring, bake in a tightly sealed Dutch oven at 100C; the trapped steam gives the wet crumb.
Where to eat rugbraud (icelandic rye bread)
Rugbraud (Icelandic rye bread) in Reykjavik
Cafe Loki ★ 4.2
Café Loki is a restaurant across from Hallgrímskirkja serving Icelandic home-style food, with rye bread slices with mashed fish and rye bread ice cream.
Why locals goA family-run restaurant on two floors right across from Hallgrímskirkja, the most famous landmark in Reykjavik, cooking classic Icelandic home-style food.
TipThere are no table reservations, so it is first come, first served.
Kaffivagninn ★ 4.1
Kaffivagninn, founded in 1935 by the Reykjavik harbor, calls itself the oldest restaurant in Iceland and serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
Why locals goIt began as founder Bjarni Kristjánsson's small coffee truck serving the heroes of the sea at the harbor, and the house that still hosts Kaffivagninn was built soon after.
TipOrder the catch of the day, which the site says is served where the fishermen themselves eat; breakfast runs daily until 11:00.
Messinn ★ 4.5
Messinn is a seafood restaurant at Laekjargata 6b that specialises in fresh seafood, served at lunchtime and in the evening every day of the week.
OrderA fish pan: freshly cooked fish straight from the kitchen with butter-fried potatoes and vegetables.
TipThe fish pans come with butter-fried potatoes and vegetables and are made for sharing.
Hofnin ★ 4.1
Höfnin is a homely family restaurant at Geirsgata 7c by the small boat harbour in Reykjavik, serving classic Icelandic food with a view over the old harbour.
OrderThe fish soup, which a guest says won the restaurant a medal in 2012.
TipA guest advises asking for a window seat, since the restaurant is right on the harbour.
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