With the right ingredients, you can make different types of simple and delicious crackers at home. The recipes illustrated in this article have two secrets: roll out the dough well to make it as flat as possible and pierce the surface before putting the crackers in the oven.
Ingrediants
Simple Wheat Crackers
Makes about 4 dozen crackers
- 1 ½ cup (200 g) of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 1 teaspoon of table salt
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of olive oil
- ½ cup (120 ml) of water
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt (optional)
- 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds (optional)
Crackers Prepared with Sodium Bicarbonate
Makes about 3 dozen crackers
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon of baking soda
- A pinch of table salt
- 1 tablespoon of cold butter
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of liquid egg
- 1 cup (250 ml) of buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon of coarse salt (optional)
Butter Crackers
Makes about 3 dozen crackers
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon of baking powder
- 2 teaspoons of sugar
- A pinch of table salt
- 3 tablespoons + 2 tablespoons of divided and melted butter
- 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
- 80 ml of cold water
- A pinch of coarse salt
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Simple Wheat Crackers
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 230 ° C
Before it gets too hot, move one of the racks to place it in the lower third of the oven.
Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by dusting it with all-purpose flour (take it out of the package, don't use the one you measured for the crackers) or by lining it with parchment paper
Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients
Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl, then beat them gently to combine.
If you want to make healthier crackers, try using 100g of whole wheat flour and 100g of all-purpose flour instead of using only the latter
Step 3. Mix the wet ingredients
Pour the olive oil and water over the flour, mixing well until it forms a sticky dough.
Flour residue may remain at the bottom of the bowl. However, if a considerable amount remains, add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of water to mix it and add it to the rest of the dough. Repeat if necessary
Step 4. Flatten the dough
Sprinkle a handful of flour on a clean work surface, then lay the dough on it. Roll it out with a rolling pin until you get the desired thickness.
- Once the dough is placed on the work surface, gently shape it into a large rectangle. Lightly flour the rolling pin and pass it over the dough, starting from the center and working outwards.
- For larger crackers, the dough should be about 3mm thick. To get thin crackers, it should be about 1.5mm thick instead.
Step 5. If desired, season the dough
On the surface you can sprinkle a homogeneous handful of sea salt and sesame seeds. Gently dab the toppings onto the surface with your hands.
Although not strictly necessary, it is useful to brush some water on the surface of the dough before seasoning it, in order to favor the adhesion of the salt and the seeds
Step 6. Cut the dough
Use a sharp knife to make individual crackers.
The average size of a cracker is approximately 2.5 x 5 cm, but you can change it as you wish
Step 7. Pierce the crackers
Take a fork or toothpick to pierce the center of each cracker. This procedure allows you to keep them flat.
Also, place them on the baking sheet you have prepared. Lift them up with a dough scraper or spatula, then spread them next to each other, keeping them from touching
Step 8. Bake the crackers until the edges are golden brown
Place the crackers in the oven and let them cook until the edges have turned a golden color. Turn them once halfway through cooking.
- Thin crackers should cook in 6-8 minutes, so flip after about 4 minutes.
- Thick crackers take 12-15 minutes, so you should flip them after 6 minutes have elapsed.
Step 9. Let them cool and eat them
Remove the crackers and place them on a cooling rack. Wait until they reach room temperature and serve them.
Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. They should keep fresh for 1 to 2 weeks
Method 2 of 3: Sodium Bicarbonate Crackers
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 180 ° C
Meanwhile, prepare a large baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
If you don't have parchment paper, you can sprinkle a handful of flour on the baking sheet. Remember not to get it from the flour you measured for the recipe
Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients
Place the flour, baking soda, and table salt in a medium or large bowl. Beat them with a whisk until you get a homogeneous blend.
The multipurpose flour allows you to obtain classic crackers, but if you want you can replace it in half with wholemeal flour
Step 3. Add the butter and egg
Pour these ingredients into the bowl. Cut the butter and mix it with the dry ingredients using a dough cutter, knife or fork. Simultaneously incorporate the egg. Stir until you get a crumbly mixture.
- You can use butter, margarine, lard, or edible fat, but before you begin, make sure the fatty ingredient is cold and has a solid consistency. Similarly, you can also mix various types of fat in equal doses, such as ½ tablespoon of butter and ½ tablespoon of edible fat.
- If you don't have liquid eggs, use half a large egg. Beat it lightly with a fork and measure 2 tablespoons (30 ml) for this recipe.
Step 4. Incorporate the buttermilk
Pour it into the bowl. Mix well until the dough is soft and sticky.
Step 5. Beat the surface of the dough
Lightly flour a clean work surface and lay the dough on it. With a rolling pin, gently tap the dough until you get air bubbles over the entire surface. The procedure takes about 20 minutes and in the meantime you should fold the dough repeatedly.
Alternatively, knead for 3 to 5 minutes, then let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. While the dough rests, air bubbles should form
Step 6. Flatten the dough
Roll it out using a lightly floured rolling pin. Continue until you get a thickness of about 1.5-3mm.
Step 7. Cut the dough into squares
Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to divide the dough into individual crackers. The dimensions may vary, but in general, squares of about 5 cm are recommended.
You also need to move the crackers to the pan you have prepared. Lift them up with a flat trowel, then spread them side by side and avoid touching each other. Baking soda crackers tend to shrink as they cook rather than expand
Step 8. Prepare the surface
Pierce the surface of each cracker several times with a fork or toothpick. The holes created in the dough should keep the crackers flat as they cook.
If you want to make savory crackers, sprinkle some coarse salt on the surface of the dough right now. Gently press it onto the dough with your hands
Step 9. Bake the crackers until they are lightly browned
Place the crackers in the preheated oven and let them cook for 20-25 minutes or until golden on the edges.
It is not necessary to turn them during cooking, but you have to take out the crackers that are cooked before the others to prevent them from burning
Step 10. Let cool and serve
Place the cooked crackers on a cooling rack and wait for them to come to room temperature. Serve them once cold.
Keep leftover crackers at room temperature by placing them in an airtight container. They should keep fresh for 1 to 2 weeks
Method 3 of 3: Butter Crackers
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 200 ° C
Meanwhile, prepare a baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper.
Step 2. Mix the dry ingredients
Pour the flour, baking powder, sugar, and table salt into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse them several times until you get a smooth blend.
If you don't have a food processor, you can make the crackers by hand. Beat the dry ingredients until smooth
Step 3. Gradually add liquid ingredients
On the dry mix pour 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of melted butter, vegetable oil and water (in that order), operating the pulse function of the food processor to incorporate each ingredient well immediately after adding it. Continue to knead the dough until you get a smooth ball.
- When you add water, pour in a little at a time and turn on the pulse function of the food processor immediately after incorporating it.
- If you knead by hand, add the butter and oil at the same time, then stir in a little water at a time. Continue until the dough is smooth.
Step 4. Let the dough rest
Remove the ball from the food processor and cover it with cling film. Let the dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Step 5. Flatten the dough
Spread it out on a clean, lightly floured work surface. Flatten the dough with a rolling pin until it is about 1.5-3 mm thick.
Step 6. Cut the crackers
Cut the dough into individual crackers using a sharp knife. Measures approximately 5cm in length or diameter.
To make classic butter crackers, try cutting them using a round cookie cutter with grooves. You can also use cookie cutters to vary the shape of the crackers
Step 7. Drill the surface
Prick the surface of each cracker several times using a fork or toothpick. This procedure should allow the crackers to stay flat while cooking.
Move the crackers to the pan you prepared using a flat spatula. Arrange them side by side, but avoid touching each other
Step 8. Bake them until golden brown
Place the crackers in the preheated oven and let them cook for 10 minutes or until the entire surface is golden brown.
You shouldn't flip them while cooking
Step 9. Coat them with the remaining butter and salt
As soon as you take them out of the oven, brush the melted butter left over and sprinkle them with a homogeneous handful of coarse salt.
Step 10. Let them cool and serve them
Move them to a cooling rack and bring them to room temperature. They can be eaten when cold.
