The rye crackers come out of the oven on Tuesday and Friday mornings. They are sold in paper bags at the counter and they are best eaten the day they are baked. This schedule has been in place since the shop opened in 2011, with one small recipe adjustment made in April 2026.
The Recipe ¶
The base recipe uses dark rye flour from a cooperative in Hokkaido, caraway seeds, flaked sea salt from Ako in Hyogo, water, and a small amount of olive oil. In April 2026 we added approximately fifteen percent spelt flour from a mill in Nagano, which opens the texture slightly and makes the cracker less dense. The caraway and salt quantities are unchanged. The baking temperature is 190 degrees Celsius for fourteen minutes.
Why Twice a Week ¶
The crackers are best on the day they are baked. By the second day they have lost some of their snap, and by the third day the texture is noticeably different. Baking twice a week means the counter always has fresh crackers and we are not selling day-old stock. It also means the baking fits into the shop's rhythm without requiring a dedicated baker. Edmund bakes them himself on Tuesday mornings. A member of the counter staff handles Friday.
The Rye Flour ¶
The dark rye flour comes from a cooperative in Tokachi, Hokkaido, the same region that supplies the dairy for the aged gouda. We order it in 10kg sacks every three weeks. Dark rye has a higher bran content than light rye, which gives the cracker its colour and its slightly bitter edge. That bitterness is useful: it cuts through the fat of the aged gouda and the miso-cured ham without needing anything else.
What They Are For ¶
The crackers are an accompaniment, not a centrepiece. They are on the charcuterie boards, in the summer provisions boxes, and available separately in paper bags. They are not designed to be eaten on their own, though some regulars do exactly that. The caraway note is strong enough to be interesting and restrained enough not to dominate whatever is on the board.
When to Come ¶
If you want the crackers at their best, come on Tuesday or Friday morning. The first batch is usually out of the oven by 10:30. By early afternoon on those days, the bags are often sold out. We do not hold stock back or take pre-orders for crackers. They are a counter item, available while they last.
The rye crackers are included in the Summer Provisions Box and on all charcuterie boards. They are also available separately at the counter on Tuesday and Friday mornings.