Crackers are a universal snack. They can be eaten both in pure form or served on the table with meat, butter or various fillings. For example, with creamy soft cheese and salted or smoked salmon. In fact, there is nothing complicated in making crackers. The recipe (at home) does not require much experience in cooking.
The tools you need for this are minimal: a good rolling pin, parchment paper, plastic packaging, a spacious work surface, a good baking tray and a sharp knife.
Crackers that are easy to make at home can be very simple in composition. You can take only flour, water and salt. You will get matzo-like cakes that you can use for sandwiches. If you add baking powder and oil to this dough, the consistency of the finished product will become more tender.
Various nuts, seeds and spices are traditionally added as flavors: toasted almonds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, fennel and caraway seeds. You can use various exotic condiments, which are combined with salt dough.
Tips
- Do not knead the dough too much. It is better to minimize this process so as not to activate gluten in the flour.
- When using a rolling pin, make movements from the center of the dough sheet and roll it about 0.5 cm thick. If the crackers are thinner, they will turn out to be very hard. If the thickness is excessive, they may not bake in the middle.
- If the dough starts to shrink (which means the gluten is too active), leave it for five minutes without covering anything, and then continue to roll.
- If you want to cook a figured cracker - fish, leaves, etc., you will need special forms. If desired, the figures can be cut out on a rolled dough by hand with a very sharp knife. To get even geometric shapes, it is most convenient to use a pizza cutter.
- After these crackers are removed from the oven, transfer them to a dish or platter to cool. In order to make their surface crispy, air circulation is needed from all sides.
- Salt cracker dough can be put in the refrigerator and stored for several days or frozen for up to a month. Such a preparation can significantly save your time if baking is urgently needed.
What kind of fillers can crackers be used with?
- Mix thick yogurt with cucumber, mint and lemon zest.
- Take cream cheese like Philadelphia and mix it with chopped dill and green onions. You can add finely chopped smoked salmon fillet.
- Fry the chicken liver in the herb oil of your choice, chop finely. Add the chopped apple and a few drops of brandy to it.
Above is the easiest way to make crackers. A home-made recipe can be more complex. What options can be easily made?
Rosemary Crackers
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup flour;
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder;
- ¾ tablespoons (tea) salt;
- 2 tablespoons (tablespoons) of rosemary, chopped coarsely;
- ½ cup of water;
- ⅓ cup olive oil;
- sea salt is large.
Spicy crackers - a recipe at home
Place a massive baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven, heated to 250 degrees. Sprinkle lightly on the table with flour.
Combine the salt, baking powder and 1 tablespoon of chopped rosemary with flour in a bowl. Make a depression in the center, and then add oil and water, gradually mixing them into the flour. Keep stirring until you get an even mass. Place the dough on a table or other work surface and knead gently.
Divide into 6 equal parts. While you are working with one of them, keep the others covered with plastic wrap. Divide the first piece into 4 identical pieces, roll them out very thinly, cut, and then lay them out on parchment paper. Using a fork, pierce the dough in several places.
Immediately before baking, lightly grease the top of each cracker with butter. Spread a little remaining chopped rosemary on the surface, and then sprinkle a little coarse salt, gently squeezing it into the dough.
Put the parchment sheet on a heated baking sheet, bake until light golden for 4 to 6 minutes. Remove the finished product from the oven to cool. Repeat the previous steps to use all remaining dough.
Swedish rye crackers
Ingredients:
- 1 cup dark rye flour;
- 1 cup wheat flour;
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder;
- 1 teaspoon of sea salt;
- ½ teaspoon of caraway seeds;
- 2 tablespoons of chilled butter, cut into small cubes;
- ½ cup whole milk;
- 1 spoon (tablespoon) molasses;
- 1 egg, broken with 1 tablespoon of water;
- 2 tablespoons (teaspoon) of fresh caraway seeds.
How to Cook Swedish Crackers
Heat the oven to 180 degrees. Cover the two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.
In a food processor or large capacity, mix flour, salt, baking powder and ground cumin, beat well until the ingredients are completely combined. Add oil and beat at high speeds until it is completely dissolved.
Mix milk and molasses, stir until completely dissolved. Gradually add this mixture to the dough and beat with a mixer or mix with a spatula or spoon (wooden).
On a table sprinkled with flour or other surface, knead the dough until a homogeneous mass is obtained. It will be a little sticky. You can add flour as needed. Divide the dough into two balls, cover with plastic wrap and leave it for 30 minutes.
After that, roll all the balls from the dough into small rectangles to a thickness of several millimeters. Using a cookie or pizza cutter, cut it into long strips and then across into rectangles. If desired, you can make cookies crackers shaped .
Lubricate the dough with a slightly beaten egg and sprinkle with caraway seeds. Gently push the seeds into the crackers, pierce them with a fork.
Bake until the dough turns golden brown. It takes 12 to 15 minutes, and you need to turn the cookies over during baking (approximately in the middle of this time). Arrange the salted crackers for cooling and then store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.