Homemade Crackers
A few years back, Katherine Clapner of Dude, Sweet fame (dudesweetchocolate.net) and I were prepping for a party at my Montana home. Katherine whipped up a batch of herbed crackers that were crunchy, savory, and utterly addictive. “See how simple these are?” she quipped. Then, this past fall, Amy Mueller (a fantastic sourdough bread baker) invited me for late afternoon wine at her Amsterdam apartment. She had made her own crackers to accompany salumi and cheese. It was clearly time for me to dive into the homemade cracker world. Now that I have, I can’t figure out what took me so long. My recipe was inspired by others and it’s practically effortless.
Homemade Crackers
Makes three dozen 2 x 3-inch crackers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh rosemary or thyme
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup water
2-1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 cup sesame seeds (you can substitute poppy seeds, cumin seeds, or leave out)
Preheat oven to 450°. Line a 13 x 18-inch sheet pan with either parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Place flours, rosemary, salt, and sugar in a small bowl and whisk with a fork. Mix the water and olive oil in a small bowl; pour over the flour mixture and use the fork to mix the dough until it comes together in a ball. If the dough is too dry, add a little water until it’s cohesive.
Flour a work surface and your rolling pin. Place dough on the floured surface and pat into a square. Flip it over and roll out the dough, starting from the center. The thinner the better. Make sure you have enough flour to keep it from sticking.
Put some water in a small cup. Use a basting brush to lightly coat the dough with water. Evenly sprinkle on the coarse salt and then the sesame seeds. Run the rolling pin over the surface to embed the seeds. Cut crackers into 2 x 3-inch rectangles or any shape that suits your fancy.
Place on a sheet pan. Use a fork to poke a series of holes in the unbaked crackers (this keeps them flat while baking).
Bake crackers for 12 to 15 minutes, until nicely brown. Place on a cooling rack. The crackers crisp as they cool. Store for up to two to three days in an air-tight container—if you can resist eating them.
Sally Uhlmann’s passion for cooking led her to publish a memoir-style cookbook, “Just Cook with Sally.” She splits her time between the States and her farmhouse in Cortona, Italy, when she is not traveling the world. Sally cooks, develops recipes, and writes stories—mostly about the intersection of food, travel, and her life.
