Homemade Crackers

We have been greatly enjoying the crackers made out of Nourishing Tradition’s, yogurt dough. The only thing that I didn’t like is that sometimes that would seem a little to crisp for Elena, our 18 month old daughter. I would under bake them slightly, and this helped, but they still didn’t have that fall apart in your mouth texture I was looking for. I wanted a cracker that would be easy for her eat. I wondered how store bought crackers could stay together so well, yet still crumble so easily in your mouth. I still don’t know all the answers to making the perfect cracker, but I was very excited about a recipe I tried out this last week!

The following recipe is very loosely based off of a recipe from Sally Fallon’s, Eat Fat, Lose Fat book. The baking powder makes it rise a little and give it a little more texture. I used whole wheat pastry flour and some millet flour (no gluten), which made less gluten build up, and made it be more light and crumbly for Elena to eat. She LOVED them and they were so easy for her to eat. I think that I have finally found my Cherrio substitute! Now, if only her dad and mom would stay out of them, she would be set! Joel and I really enjoyed eating them with a pate. Very nice.

This recipe would lend itself to many changes and substitutions. Play around with the flours, and the oil to come up with what you like. Consider using flax seeds, sesame seeds, herbs, cheese, or other flavorings to add interest. I used coconut oil, but you could use butter or palm kernel oil. I made this using the same method for mixing as my Irish Soda Bread. You can see step by step pictures there if you want a little more guidance. Remember that this recipe includes a soaking period overnight.

Homemade Crackers

3 1/2 cups of whole grain flour (I used 1 1/2 cups of millet flour, 2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour for a lighter cracker)
1/4 cup of melted coconut oil
1 cup of water with two tablespoons vinegar (or you could use buttermilk)

Gently mix together the above ingredients, until combined. I used a fork at first, and then kneaded the dough gently in the bowl until it just came together into a ball. Cover and leave out overnight on the counter. The next morning, flatten your ball out on the counter, using a little white flour, if needed to prevent sticking.

Sprinkle over the top:
1 teaspoon of sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Fold in half and knead gently until salt and baking powder are evenly mixed in (if this intimidates you, you can mix these two ingredients in with the flour the night before. The salt will inhibit some of the soaking process, however. You are now ready to roll it out!

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and lightly flour your surface. I liked to roll out a quarter of the dough at a time, for more control. I rolled them to about 1/8 on an inch to make firmer, crisper crackers to serve with spreads and cheese. For baby, I roll them to about 1/4 of an inch, and this produced a lighter, more crumbly cracker that was very easy for her to eat. Cut into desired size with a sharp knife and gently lay out on a greased baking sheet and prick with a fork.

Bake for about 1o minutes and check. They will be done when they are browning slightly around the edges. Cool on cooling sheets and enjoy! I like to store them in a glass jar on the counter. They are so pretty!