Seeded Crackers
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizers
Cuisine: American
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8
 
Crackers are easy to buy anywhere but it's so satisfying--and easy--to make them at home.
Ingredients
  • ***For the Dough***
  • 6¾ ounces (1½ cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 ounces (scant ½ cup) whole wheat flour
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • ***For the Topping***
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoons poppy seeds
  • 2 teaspoons fennel (or caraway) seeds
  • ½ - ¾ teaspoons kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425° (the original recipe called for 450° but I found that too hot.
  2. To prepare the topping: combine the seeds in a small bowl and set aside.
  3. To prepare the dough: Whisk the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour and salt together in a bowl. Add the olive oil and ½ cup water to the flour and stir with a rubber spatula until you have a crumbly ball of dough. Use your hands or a spatula to press the dough against the side of the bowl to collect the loose flour.
  4. Set the dough on a lightly-floured surface and divide the dough into three equal pieces. Form each one into a square; working with one piece at a time, cover the other two with a clean kitchen towel.
  5. There are two ways to roll out the dough. The original recipe calls for rolling out on a lightly-floured surface, cutting rectangles and transferring the pieces to an unlined baking sheet. I think this way is cumbersome, having to transfer the individual rectangles to the baking sheet. They get misshapen and bubble up while baking. Following my favorite way of preparing crackers, here's my alternative. Roll out the dough on an inverted baking sheet (place on top of a dish towel so it doesn't move around as you roll the dough). There's no need to add flour to it. Roll out the dough very thinly, about 7 by 14 inches. Brush the surface lightly with water then sprinkle ⅓ of the seed mixture for each piece of dough. Sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of the kosher salt (a little less is better). Press a large knife onto the dough, creating 2 by 4 inch rectangles then prick the surface with fork (this will prevent the dough from bubbling).
  6. Transfer the baking sheet with the seeded and scored dough to the oven and bake for 10 minutes (I found 7 minutes to be better) or until the crackers are nicely browned. Take the baking sheet out of the oven and cool the crackers on a wire rack. Repeat the process for the remaining two pieces of dough. Note: A second baking sheet would be handy so you're not rolling out the dough on a hot sheet.
  7. The dough can be refrigerated for up to 2 days and frozen up to 1 month. Defrost in the refrigerator before using. Store the crackers in a Ziploc bag; they should last up to a week.
Notes
Recipe from Fine Cooking Magazine: Soups & Stews, Spring 2013
Recipe by Lemons + Anchovies at https://lemonsandanchovies.com/2013/02/seeded-crackers/