Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Compulsive Crackers

So I'm going to confess a problem that my house currently has. We never have enough snack foods...and me, being a still growing person, needs snackage! So yesterday I decided to fix this problem by making something really cool- homemade crackers. Wile browsing blogs, I happened upon some crackers from Food Stories. Her crackers looked really yummy, and I can be a little compulsive sometimes. I got up from my chair and started to make them. But then... doh!...I don't have some of the ingredients. So I improvised! I used the same proportions, but like swapped ingredients that I didn't have. So It asked for whole meal flour, which when I first read, didn't completely connect in my brain. So for some odd reason, I substituted semolina flour for. Don't ask me why, because reflecting upon it now, still makes me wonder.So I mixed all of my ingredients to make this cute little ball!When you roll it out, make sure that you have enough flour, so that it doesn't stick to the counter : )













So then I got my sprinkles out. I decided to use rosemary, and sea salt.




Then I cut them into triangles, and poked them with a fork, so they would not bubble up in the oven. My first batch in the oven came out burnt, but the second batch came out really good.

Smoked Sea Salt and Fennel Seed Crackers
(rosemary/plain sea salt version)
Food Stories

4oz (1/2 cup0 plain white flour
4oz (1/2 cup)wholemeal flour (for some reason, I used Semolina)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine salt
35m l(approx 1/8 of a cup) olive oil
Smoked salt (or regular (What I used))
Fennel seeds (I used rosemary)
Water

-Mix the flour, baking powder and fine salt in a bowl. Add the oil and then enough water for the dough to come together. It shouldn’t be too sticky.
-On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for around 5 minutes then cover and allow to rest (at room temp) for around 30 minutes.
-Roll out the dough as thin as you can manage without it tearing and cut into desired shapes.
-Sprinkle each cracker with smoked sea salt and fennel seeds to your taste.
-Transfer to a lightly oiled baking sheet and bake at 150C/300F/Gas2 for 20-30 minutes. The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your crackers but they are ready when golden brown and crispy (If you used non-whole wheat four, it will not brown up to much, if it does, then that means that you burnt your crackers like I did first time around: (. Cool on a rack, or in your tummy.

Before you put the crackers in the oven, make indents in the top with a fork to prevent them puffing

24 comments:

The Peanut Butter Boy said...

Yum, sounds like a nice combination for crackers. Smoked salt is really hard to find by the way, and if you do, it's very expensive. I have a small taste of it from somewhere and I used it once to make a burger. It is some very fragrant stuff, you really need to like smoke flavor to enjoy it (which I do).

I've always meant to try making crackers but I never get around to it mostly because I don't really eat crackers and when I do, I figure it's about 10 times easier to just buy them. Then again, I'm sure homemade crackers are 10 times better than store bought so it balances out nicely =).

- Peanut Butter Boy

Kitt said...

Clever! They look great.

I always like to snack on savory things. Chocolate can linger in my house for months (until Mom comes to visit), but crackers never last long. I'll have to try making some!

Anonymous said...

Those do look very good and I love the taste of baked and toasted fennel seeds. How different would it have been if you didn't use semolina flour?

Lisa said...

Wow - these look beautiful; they'd be right at home among some bowls of humous and spicy olives :-)

Elle said...

Hey, those look great! I've always been afraid to make crackers, and I have NO idea why!

Jessy and her dog Winnie said...

White on rice couple- I'm not really sure, the semolina flour made them have a slightly sandy finish to them, it you used something like whole wheat flour, I bet they would have been a little lighter and possibly a crisper finish. I'm definitely going to play around with these crackers, and try different combinations of flours and flavorings.

Jade said...

These look really good - I always want to make crackers but forget. ::going on my list pronto::

Deborah said...

I think my problem is having too many snacks in the house, but they are never as good as these sound!! I should start making my own crackers - I bet these were delicious!

michael, claudia and sierra said...

they look and sound absolutely wonderful. homemade crackers. sooooo great! perfect for some hummos!

Wandering Chopsticks said...

Wow! Great job! Those look like artisanal crackers. i ate at a restaurant that had something similar as part of their bread basket.

Hello, I'm Sally. said...

I bet that smoked paprika would be a good spice to try. That's my new fave right now. I can't wait to sprinkle it on deviled eggs!

I too have been putting off making my own crackers. I really should do it though, my kids eat a ton of them!

Thanks for showing me I have nothing to fear!

Anonymous said...

We always need snackage here too! My kiddies would love these. What a great idea! You're such a cool teenager!

cakewardrobe said...

Wow! I really applaud you.. every time I get salty cravings, I go out and get Sundried Tomato and Basil wheat thins. I never even thought of making my own snacks! I wish my mum let me touch her kitchen when I was younger! :)

Anonymous said...

Looks delicious -- I love rosemary and salt crackers!

kris said...

Hi Jessy - I'm always on the lookout for a good cracker - think I'll be trying this one! Your cinnamon scones looked delish - have to try that too. Oh, and the brownies a few posts back. LOL

How fun that you tried the Artisan bread - as you discovered, it has a much better flavor after a few days in the fridge. I made up the brioche dough and bagel dough and divided them after a couple days in the fridge and then froze them in small amts - hoping I can get a couple bagels, a couple cinnamon rolls, etc when I defrost each packet. Haven't tried making the bagels yet, but everything else I've tried has been wonderful. My favorite is the European Peasant Bread - you substitute 1/2 c rye flour and 1/2 c whole wheat flour for one cup of white. Bake for 35 mins at 450. The flavor is fabulous.

Anonymous said...

Your crackers look delicious! Have been wanting to make crackers myself but up till now haven't....good reminder!

Anonymous said...

I love your variation on the cracker recipe. Rosemary sounds delicious! I understand that the wholemeal flour might not be to everyone's taste and the semolina flour sounds great!

Michelle Ann said...

Those look so yummy!

TC said...

I am impressed. First with your recipes and knowledge of cooking. I love food and cooking, so SCORE!
Second your page is awesome. Very well laid out, and great content. I have already bookmarked it.
Third...I think what impresses me the most is that your 15! I have a fourteen year old daughter and I'll have to show her your page!
Keep up the good work and you may want to start thinking about culinary schools now.
P.S. For you or your readers...
http://www.maineseasalt.com/smoked-sea-salt.html

or try this one...
http://www.saltworks.us/shop/product.asp?idProduct=158

Please stop by and check out my pages. One of my new ones is about recipes and I would love your input.

TC said...

Oops. I forgot to give you my link...
http://eastofacadia.blogspot.com

test it comm said...

Making your own crackers sounds like fun!

Anonymous said...

That has got to be the happiest looking cracker dough ever!

I love semolina flour bread. I'll bet these are great.

Cannelle Et Vanille said...

Great touch with the smoked salt!

Anonymous said...

They look delicous and fun to make, never thought about making my own crackers. Thanks...