Easy Homemade Crackers

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By Dixya

Every season, I go through pantry cleaning and find random things. It is pretty amusing if you ask me. I found several types of flours (most of them unlabeled), little packets of spices, and variety of hot sauces that I did not even know existed. So for the next couple of weeks, don’t be surprised if I haphazardly whip up something and call it a recipe (that’s when you tell me to STOP). Easy homemade crackers with sumac, sesame and cumin seeds are not one of those recipes though. They have been truly tested/tasted by Heidi from 101 cookbooks and I simply followed her recipe and used spices and seeds of my choice. If you are looking for a snack option or just want to try making your own crackers, this is probably the simplest recipes of all.

The recipe calls for semolina flour, which is made from durum wheat or similar hard wheat and are yellow in color. I have seen it being used in pasta, gnocchi, and dosas (South Indian savory crepes). It is not a common pantry ingredient but Heidi says, all purpose or white whole wheat flour will work as well. Besides the simplicity of the recipe, what got me most excited was the flexibility to use herbs, spices, and flavorings of my choice. The crackers came out so well, I am already thinking of doing another batch and trying cinnamon or cardamom sugar flavored ones.

Like I already said, it’s a pretty simple recipe as long as you let the dough rest for little bit then roll, cut, and bake. I think the most ‘difficult’ part about this easy homemade crackers is rolling out the dough. You can use a pasta maker if you have, otherwise good old rolling pins and your muscles will work just fine. I went with the latter and it wasn’t too bad.

Easy homemade crackers are great for snacking alone or for a large crowd – either way make sure to have a variety of dips and cheese.

Enjoy.The original recipe does not say how long to leave it in the oven, it took me 6-8 minutes but please keep a close eye. Allow the crackers to turn golden brown but it turns from golden to burnt pretty quickly. Bake them in batches if needed and do not overlap the crackers while baking.

Easy Homemade Crackers

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil + 1 tablespoon for drizzling
1 teaspoon sesame seed
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon sumac powder

Instructions

In a medium bowl, combine the flours and salt. Add the water and olive oil.
Use a mixer with a dough hook attachment mix the dough at medium speed for about 5 – 7 minutes. Or, use your hand to knead a dough. The dough is little shaggy but not sticky or dry, Add more water or flour as needed. Knead until the dough is smooth and forms a ball.
Cut the dough into twelve equal-sized pieces and gently rub each piece with spices and bit of olive oil. Shape them into a small ball and place on a plate covered and let it rest at room temperature for 30 – 60 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450F degrees.
Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough and poke each cracker with the tines of a fork to prevent puffing. Use a knife to shape the dough as desired.Arrange them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake for 6-8 minutes but keep an close eye and rotate as needed for even baking.
Let it cool completely.

Do you have random spices and flours in your pantry?