Homemade Crackers
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Crackers are surprisingly easy and fun to make. The freshness can't be beat! Wow your friends with these crispy delights.
I will experiment with the basic recipe and incorporate whole wheat flour and other grains and, of course, cheese! Also different shapes sound fun to try. |
Basic Cracker Ingredients:
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Preparation:
Preheat oven to 450°
Combine dry ingredients in bowl and mix in butter with a fork - making cutting motions - until blended. Add enough water to make a workable dough. Put dough onto floured surface and knead gently for a couple of minutes, adding flour as needed to keep it from sticking.
Divide dough into 10 pieces (or whatever amount is comfortable for you to work with at a time). Cover dough balls with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Using a floured rolling pin and a floured surface, roll each ball into a large thin square or rectangle shape, moving the dough to add flour as needed but not turning it over. After the dough is as thin as you can reasonably get it, sprinkle it with any toppings of choice and roll them in with the rolling pin - they will really stay put!
Transfer the dough to the back of a large cookie sheet (or use a pan without a lip because it's hard to cut to the edge of the pan). Cut the crackers into 1.5" strips with a pizza wheel, pastry cutter or a sharp knife, and then cut them cross-wise to form squares. Remove the excess odd-shaped dough on the edges. These can be re-rolled for slightly tougher crackers or can be cooked along with the pretty ones and be used for cracker crumbs or tasty bites for the cook or any other lucky person that wanders through the kitchen at the right moment.
Poke each cracker with a fork several times to keep them from puffing up. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes - checking them and removing any that are getting too dark, especially around the edges of the pan. Cook until lightly browned and cool on a wire rack.
Store in a plastic bag or other airtight container for up to a week.
Preheat oven to 450°
Combine dry ingredients in bowl and mix in butter with a fork - making cutting motions - until blended. Add enough water to make a workable dough. Put dough onto floured surface and knead gently for a couple of minutes, adding flour as needed to keep it from sticking.
Divide dough into 10 pieces (or whatever amount is comfortable for you to work with at a time). Cover dough balls with plastic wrap and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Using a floured rolling pin and a floured surface, roll each ball into a large thin square or rectangle shape, moving the dough to add flour as needed but not turning it over. After the dough is as thin as you can reasonably get it, sprinkle it with any toppings of choice and roll them in with the rolling pin - they will really stay put!
Transfer the dough to the back of a large cookie sheet (or use a pan without a lip because it's hard to cut to the edge of the pan). Cut the crackers into 1.5" strips with a pizza wheel, pastry cutter or a sharp knife, and then cut them cross-wise to form squares. Remove the excess odd-shaped dough on the edges. These can be re-rolled for slightly tougher crackers or can be cooked along with the pretty ones and be used for cracker crumbs or tasty bites for the cook or any other lucky person that wanders through the kitchen at the right moment.
Poke each cracker with a fork several times to keep them from puffing up. Bake for 6 to 10 minutes - checking them and removing any that are getting too dark, especially around the edges of the pan. Cook until lightly browned and cool on a wire rack.
Store in a plastic bag or other airtight container for up to a week.
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Topping ideas:
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©2013 Laura Delanty, Wife With A Knife - All Rights Reserved
