Homemade Crackers

 

Why would anyone make crackers from scratch? Well, for one, it's fun. Two, it's quicker than making bread. And three, I can actually pronounce every last item in the ingredient list, unlike some of the store-bought varieties.

Here is my version, but you can experiment with any bread dough. I use a bread machine on the dough setting to mix the ingredients, so I add the dry ingredients first and then the wet. If you are mixing by hand, that's fine too.

2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast (or 1 package)
1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour (yes, I'm sneaking some whole wheat in there)
2 c. bread flour or more as needed
2 tsp. salt
1 1/3 c. warm water
1 T. honey
2 T. olive oil

Knead for about 10 minutes, and keep the dough a little on the dry side with extra flour. Roll it super thin 1/8" or less. We use a pasta machine for this part. Then cut the rolled dough into roughly 2" or 3" squares. Neatness does not count. Place the squares on an oiled baking sheet and brush them with either an egg or milk wash (but maybe I'll try olive oil next time) and then sprinkle on toppings. My crew likes Kosher salt and oregano, but anything is fair game: parmesan, rosemary, sesame seeds, whatever you like. I think this would work equally well with sweet toppings.

Bake at 450 degrees for 6-8 minutes or until they are lightly browned. Let cool and enjoy!