Danish Ymerdrys og Ymer (Cultured Buttermilk with Rye Crumble)

About This Recipe

Danish Ymerdrys og Ymer is a real, traditional Danish dish, known as Cultured Buttermilk with Rye Crumble. Thick, tangy cultured Danish dairy topped with a sweet, crunchy toasted rye breadcrumb topping, a beloved everyday breakfast.\n\nYmer is a traditional Danish cultured dairy product, similar to a thick buttermilk or skyr, and pairing it with ymerdrys (sweetened toasted rye crumbs) is a longstanding Danish breakfast and dessert tradition.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Danish home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 4 cupsymer (Danish cultured buttermilk) or thick natural yogurt
• 150 gdark rye bread(crust removed, torn into crumbs)
• 3 tbspbutter
• 4 tbspbrown sugar
• 2 tbspsugar(for serving)

Instructions

1. 1

   Make the crumbs

   Pulse the torn rye bread in a food processor into coarse crumbs, or grate it on a box grater.

2. 2

   Toast the crumbs

   Melt butter in a skillet and toast the rye crumbs with brown sugar over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 8 to 10 minutes until deeply golden and crisp.

3. 3

   Cool

   Spread the toasted crumbs on a plate to cool and crisp up further as they cool.

4. 4

   Portion the ymer

   Divide the ymer or yogurt into serving bowls.

5. 5

   Top

   Sprinkle each portion generously with the cooled, crunchy rye crumbs.

6. 6

   Serve

   Add a sprinkle of extra sugar to taste and serve immediately for the best textural contrast.

Variations

• •

  Add a handful of fresh berries on top for extra freshness and color.

• •

  Some households mix in a touch of vanilla sugar to the crumb mixture.

• •

  Use skyr instead of ymer for a thicker, protein-rich alternative with a similar tang.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions