I love crackers, I especially love the crisp bread style like the La Panzenella croccantini from Seattle. They are expensive and hard to come in these parts. So I decided that it couldn’t be that hard to make my own. It really was very easy, and I am not a baker. I whipped these babies out in now time. I even made 2 varieties, Fennel & Sea Salt and Flax with Thyme. Since it is Christmas it seemed fitting to use Hawaiian red sea salt for sprinkling on top, it looks so pretty and festive.
I found that it was easiest to roll out between 2 silpat silicone baking mats, parchment will also work but will leave creases in the dough. I also thought about my pasta machine, but that was too much work. This technique worked very well. I cut some into shapes, my son’s idea, which I thought looked very cool when baked. It is a lot more work to do the cookie cutter idea, if you are the over achiever type go for it. I only made a few that way the rest I rolled out into a rectangle and scored with a serrated knife and baked in a sheet.
Fennel & Sea Salt Crisp Crackers
2 cups all-purpose flour or spelt flour
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup luke warm water
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
Preheat oven to 450F.
In the bowl of a food processor, for ease, mix flour and fine sea salt. With machine on add the olive oil and just enough water for the dough to come together. Pulse a few more times after the dough becomes a ball. Add the fennel seeds, pulse once more.
Remove dough to a bowl, cover and allow to rest about 30 minutes.
When the oven is hot, roll out dough to about 1/8″ thick. Proceed to cut into desired shape. Using a fork, dock the dough numerous times to keep bubbles from getting too large as they are more likely to burn. When they are ready for the oven brush with a little water or oil and sprinkle some coarse sea salt on top for taste and decoration.
Bake for 4-5 minutes. Check often as they are easy to burn, especially if the dough is a little thicker here and thinner there. That was my biggest problem, not being all that particular about such things.
Cool on a wire rack and store in an airtight container.
Flax with Thyme Crackers
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup luke warm water
leaves from 2 branches of thyme
follow directions from above!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I see you finally found a use for the pizza screen!
Another interesting and very simple recipe Kristen. The crackers look very good.
Madhuram,
Thanks for finding my blog. I have looked at your blog and I am very interested. I have a sensitivity to eggs so I am always looking for ways to make things without. However I am the only one in the family so often I find that I make eggy food for everyone else.
I look forward to spending more time on your blog and might enter your challenge!