Simple Wheat Crackers

One evening not too long ago, feeling rather bored, I decided to open a can of ravioli to feed the four kids I had home.  They asked me if I would be having any, and I told them I'd just look in the refrigerator for some leftovers.

I lied.

I knew I didn't have any leftovers, but I am so little fond of canned ravioli, I was willing to work a little harder to get something to eat.  Cheese and crackers sounded about right, but unfortunately, I had no cheese to speak of, and I had no crackers.  What's a girl to do?

Make them!!  I made a quick and easy cheese called paneer in India and queso fresco in Mexico, and while it was draining, mixed up some wheat crackers.  (I really was rather active that night.  I had milk heating for yogurt in the crock pot and wheat grinding in my Kitchenaid grain mill attachment while I was stirring milk on the stove for paneer.)

I found my cracker recipe some time ago on Allrecipes.com.  It's a very simple and easily adaptable base, good "as is" or with some flavoring additions.  This time, I added some garlic powder and Italian herb blend, and instead of sprinkling them with plain salt, we used a grinder with garlic and sea salt.


The Master Kitchen Helper is hiding behind a kitchen towel . . .



Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 cup water

Salt for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Start by putting the dry ingredients into a mixing bowl.  (Medium-size will do, but I only had large available because my medium one was in use catching whey from the paneer-making process.)  Add any spices or dried herbs you will be using at this time, as well.

Pour in the vegetable oil and water and mix until just blended.

Take a portion of the dough and on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough as thinly as possible.  (Less than 1/8 inch thick.)  If you do not have a baking stone, place the rolled dough on an ungreased baking sheet at this point.

Mark cracker edges by scoring the dough with a knife, without cutting completely through the dough.  Prick each cracker with a fork a few times.  (This part is not "rocket science", so let your Master Kitchen Helper go to town here.)  If you are using a baking sheet, go ahead and sprinkle the crackers with salt.

If you are using a baking stone, roll the scored and pricked dough onto your rolling pin to lift it.

Then roll it back out on the baking stone and sprinkle with salt.  If you are using a baking sheet, place it in the oven.

Bake the crackers for 15-20 minutes, or until crisp and light brown.  With the baking stone, I found 15-18 minutes worked well.  The time will vary, depending on how thinly that particular bit of cracker dough was rolled.

Now THAT's crispy!

When the crackers are cool (or at least, cool enough to touch without burning fingers), separate the crackers.

Not sure why the color in this picture didn't work out.  They look cheesy.

My daughters would tell you the best part about cracker-making is eating the edges, because they are the only parts I will let them munch with abandon while the crackers are being produced.  The younger ones have been known to stare in the oven window, waiting for the next cracker to finish baking, so they can mooch the edges as soon as possible.

I finally sat down around 8:00 that evening, paperback book held open by a convenient potholder, hands occupied with cutting salted paneer to put on fresh crackers.  Simple bliss.