Crackers

I'm not sure if it's because of my European blood or whether it's just cause I like animal fat, but in my opinion, there's not much better eating than a big plate of cheese, crackers, meats and dips. 

This cracker recipe was born out of my frustration with the types of crackers available in supermarkets - they are either full of crap, or very expensive (and still kind of full of crap.)

I tried several different versions, but finally adapted this recipe from 101 Cookbooks to use wholemeal flour as the cracker base. I also made several variations by adding chopped rosemary, lemon zest, orange zest, basil, grated reggiano and sage to the batter.

If you would like your crackers to be lighter and with more bubbles, I discovered if you roll a single layer of dough very thinly, then fold it in half and roll once to squash it back together, it creates a pocket inside your dough and will rise when cooking. Alternatively, if you don't wish for your crackers to rise at all, poke them all over with a fork before putting in the oven.

INGREDIENTS

3 x cups wholemeal flour

1 x cup warm water

1/3 cup rice bran oil

1 tsp vegetable salt

METHOD

Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer and beat with dough hooks for about 7 minutes at medium speed. Your mixer manual should have suggestions for the speed when using dough hooks. If you wish to add other ingredients such as cheeses, herbs or spices, do this now.

Once the mixture is fully combined and is tacky to the touch, but not too dry, it is ready to be rested. Turn onto a floured surface and cut into 10 even sized pieces. Cover with a clean, damp teatowel and rest for an hour.

Once your dough has rested, roll onto a floured surface until it is very thin - just thick enough that it doesn't break. You can use cookie cutters, old jars, cups or a knife to cut into whatever shape you prefer. I bake mine in large sheets and break pieces off when I want to use them. I also used a toast imprinter of the Virgin Mary to remind me which ones had the cheese in them. Of course, you can use whichever religious iconography you prefer in your snackfoods - just don't put bacon chips in the dough if you're gonna stamp it with the Star of David.

Once you've placed your rolled dough on baking paper, cook for about 7 minutes, or until the colour is golden and the crackers are crisp to touch. Cool on wire racks. These keep well in an airtight container in the cupboard.

"Holy crackers, Batman!"