I’ve become a bit obsessed recently with things I can bake and leave around to snack on throughout the week. These things also tend to be super-crunchy and covered with spices and salt. That’s why I made these guys last week.

I’m also fairly certain that Tipsy loves this new obsession of mine because I’ve caught her twice now licking the salt off my baked goods!

These crackers though… I’m telling you that I’m in love with them.

You can put all kinds of fun spices and seeds on them and then bake them in one large sheet and break them up into shards. Man they are good and a snap to make. (Get it? Snap!)

Lavish Crackers

Yield: 2 sheets of crackers

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

1.5 Cups all-purpose flour (The book recommends bread flour)
1/2 Teaspoon salt
1/2 Teaspoon instant yeast
1 Tablespoon honey
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
1/3 to 1/2 Cups water, room temp.

Directions:

1) Mix all the dry ingredients together and then add the honey, oil, and water. When adding the water, add it slowly and only add as much as you need for the dough to come together.

2) When the dough comes together in a ball, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about ten minutes until it passes the famous windowpane test.

3) Put the tiny ball of dough in an oiled pan and let it ferment (rise) for about 90 minutes.

4) After the 90 minutes is up, the dough will be doubled in volume (or should be) and will be very pliable.

5) Chop it in half!

6) Take one half and slowly roll it out to the length of a sheet pan.

7) Flour both sides of the dough lightly to keep it from sticking and go slowly. You should be able to get this dough almost paper thin.

8) Transfer the dough carefully to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper that has been lightly oiled.

9) Spray the top of the cracker dough with some water and then go crazy with the toppings!

10) Bake about 18 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees (turn the pan half way through to get both sides cooked evenly).

11) Once the cracker is cool, which just takes a few minutes, break it into pieces.

Recipe from The Bread Baker's Apprentice.

Mix all your dry ingredients together and then add your honey, oil, and water. When adding the water, add it slowly and only add as much as you need for your dough to come together. I didn’t need 1/2 cup of water, but you might. When the dough comes together in a ball, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

Knead the dough for about ten minutes until it passes the famous windowpane test. I found this dough to be especially stretchy.

Then put your tiny ball of dough in an oiled pan and let it ferment (rise) for about 90 minutes. I like to use spray olive oil for this as it coats the pan evenly and then I spray the top of the dough also to keep it from drying out.

You can use any oil really though. Just make sure there isn’t a pool of oil in the pan. A light coating is enough.

After your 90 minutes is up, the dough will be doubled in volume (or should be) and will be very pliable.

Next thing is to chop it in half! Just half of this dough will make enough cracker to cover a standard half sheet pan.

Then take one half and slowly roll it out to the length of a sheet pan. Mine ended up being about 12 by 16 inches. Flour both sides of the dough lightly to keep it from sticking and go slowly. You should be able to get this dough almost paper thin.

Then transfer the dough carefully to a sheet pan lined with parchment paper that has been lightly oiled (again I used spray oil).

Now comes the fun part. Spray the top of your cracker dough with some water and then go crazy with the toppings! These are the ones that I decided to use, but really you could use almost anything. It’s okay to use a pretty good dose of spices because some of them will fall off after cooking.

Also, if you are a very orderly person and don’t like the idea of shards, you could use a pizza cutter or knife to lightly cut the dough into whatever shape you want and then after it bakes it will easily break into uniform pieces.

Frankly, I despise uniform pieces!

After about 18 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees (turn your pan half way through to get both sides cooked evenly), you’ll end up with a super crunchy cracker layer.

Once the cracker is cool, which just takes a few minutes, you can break it into pieces. Personally I like big shards that have some of each spice on them. But there aren’t any rules. These are crackers people. Go crazy.

Just another shot for good measure.

If you make both halves of dough, you’ll end up with a good amount of crackers, but don’t worry. They go quick. Especially if you have a very nosey cat who loves people food.