Crisp, with a hint of sea salt and sesame seeds, these Olive Oil Crackers are the best reason to get the rolling pin out. They come together quickly and keep for days.
Ahh, the magic of homemade crackers! Once you realize how easy to make and superior in flavor they are, compared to commercial ones, there's no turning back.
I have been infatuated with Ottolenghi ever since his first cookbook, Plenty. I bought it by chance and discovered a whole new vegetarian world. I'm a meat eater, huge fan, so that says a lot. It turns out the whole planet had discovered him too, haha, and he climbed to celebrity chef status in no time.
Steps for making this recipe
- Make the dough: it's fairly simple since it doesn't have yeast.
- Let the dough rest: you mix all the ingredients and let the dough rest before rolling it - similar to the Cheese Naan Bread (image below, left).
- Cut and shape: cut small nuggets of dough (image below, right) and roll each individually. Put them in the oven sheet pan.
- Baking: brush with water and add seeds and salt. Bake until crispy and dry. Keep in airtight tins or containers.
If you’ve never made crackers at home, they’re a one-way trip. With simple ingredients, they’re easy to make and will make you look like a superstar. Which you are, of course. But that jaw-dropping when they find out you actually make crackers at home, no credit card buys that.
It’s such a supermarket and bakery staple, some people have a hard time understanding that we bakers actually find it enjoyable. Working with flour is therapeutical for me. So calming. And the smells! Nothing like baked things coming out from your oven to feel like everything is all right.
Tips & tricks
- Resting: once you have a good dough - no dry spots, not overly wet either - let it rest for 1 hour. The dough needs to relax in order to become pliable enough to roll thinly. Flour has gluten and it develops when you work it. The resting period makes this gluten structure relax and allow the dough to become more elastic.
- Rolling: the dough nuggets need to be rolled thin, otherwise, your crackers will be thick and not crunchy enough. If you see that you roll the dough and it shrinks back, it needs to relax some more. Leave it covered with a clean kitchen towel for a few minutes and try again. Eventually, it will roll to the desired thickness.
- Toppings: I brush the rolled pieces with water and sprinkle with Maldon salt and sesame seeds. Press them gently so they adhere to the dough. Many of them will fall anyway after baking, so you might consider adding the sesame seeds when you make the dough ball. So you have the seeds in the dough and not as a topping. Or omit them altogether.
- Keeping: they keep well for a week if kept in airtight tins (ideally) or containers. Metal tins with good lids are the best.
These olive oil crackers blister while baking and crash the minute they touch your teeth, with a subtle wheat flavor and the heat of spices, depending on how much you used. I also sprinkled some Maldon salt flakes on top, and that salty punch here and there was perfect.
And the second batch came out darker, and, in my opinion, better. This recipe is versatile. Use whatever spices and seeds you want. Maybe some dried thyme?
Related recipes you might like:
Let me know in the comments below if you made this recipe and loved it and if you had issues so we can troubleshoot together. I love to hear what you think, always. Thanks for being here. It's much appreciated.
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Ottolenghi's Olive Oil Crackers
Crisp, with a hint of sea salt, these Olive Oil Crackers are the best reason to get the rolling pin out. The seeds add a lot of crunchiness.
- Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
- Yield: 25 medium
Ingredients
- Scant 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- Scant ½ cup (115ml) water
- 5 teaspoons (25ml) olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Sea salt flakes and sesame seeds, (for sprinkling)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and spices.
- Add water, and olive oil.
- Mix with a fork first and your hands then, to form a soft dough. It needs to have a firm consistency, but add more water if too dry, a few drops at a time.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. This is necessary for the dough to relax so it can be stretched.
- Preheat the oven to 425ºF / 220ºC.
- Line baking sheets with wax paper.
- Turn out the dough onto a clean surface or countertop, lightly dusted with flour.
- Cut pieces of dough, about the size of a whole walnut.
- Roll each piece until as thin as possible without tearing. You need to work with several pieces at a time, stretching them as much as you can and letting them rest. Then go back to the first one and stretch it a little bit more.
- Place the dough rounds on the sheets, brush them with olive oil, and sprinkle them with sea salt flakes and sesame seeds. Press lightly into the dough so they stay put during baking.
- Bake for about 6 or 7 minutes, until blistered, golden, and dry.
- Remove from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack.
- Keep in a tin or airtight container.
Notes
Resting: once you have a good dough - no dry spots, not overly wet either - let it rest for 1 hour. The dough needs to relax in order to become pliable enough to roll thinly. Flour has gluten and it develops when you work it. The resting period makes this gluten structure relax and allow the dough to become more elastic.
Rolling: the dough nuggets need to be rolled thin, otherwise, your crackers will be thick and not crunchy enough. If you see that you roll the dough and it shrinks back, it needs to relax some more. Leave it covered with a clean kitchen towel for a few minutes and try again. Eventually, it will roll to the desired thickness.
Toppings: I brush the rolled pieces with water and sprinkle with Maldon salt and sesame seeds. Press them gently so they adhere to the dough. Many of them will fall anyway after baking, so you might consider adding the sesame seeds when you make the dough ball. So you have the seeds in the dough and not as a topping. Or omit them altogether.
Keeping: they keep well for a week if kept in airtight tins (ideally) or containers. Metal tins with good lids are the best.
- Prep Time: 75
- Cook Time: 10
- Category: Crackers
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: International
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/25
- Calories: 52
- Sugar: 0 g
- Sodium: 47.5 mg
- Fat: 1.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 1.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
e / dig in hobart says
how did i miss these/! they look so deliciously crunchy.
Cocoa and Lavender says
I am such an Ottolenghi addict. There should be a 12-step program... I have all three, plus Plenty More is on order. I haven't tried these crackers will be doing so soon. The surprise tatin is a favorite as is the chicken with arak and clementines from Jerusalem... As is everything in Plenty! You will love this... I was having insomnia and was flipping through cookbook sites on my iPad at 2:00am. I saw the cover of Plenty (the American version) and ordered the real book on Amazon with one click ,knowing it would arrive in 2 days. Yet at 3:00am I wanted to see more so I bought the e-book! So glad I did as he now is with me everywhere I go!
Kathy says
Love these crackers, Paula…they look so tempting! I have wanted to buy Ottolenghi’s cookbooks for awhile now…I keep trying to cut back my habit!!
Kitchen Riffs says
Everything Ottolenghi touches is superb. I do a pretty good job of resisting cookbooks -- I have way too many. But of course I still buy them.;-) Great recipe -- thanks.
Marissa | Pinch and Swirl says
I hear you on the cookbook addiction - is there a support group for that? Oh wait, that's food blogging. These crackers look absolutely incredible!
Mi Vida en un Dulce says
Yo ando medio adicta a los libros de cocina, así que de vez en cuando ando comprando en Amazon, pero los e-book si son terrible, porque como dice, eso de que en un click ya lo tengas es un peligro.
Estas galletitas se ver súper crocantes, las voy a hacer para cuando tenga una reu con amigos en la casa.
Catherine @ Chocolate & Vegetables says
Getting my hands on a new cookbook is always a thrill--I think I'd be in real danger with an iPad! Those crackers look delicious!
yummychunklet says
What tasty looking crackers!
Liz Berg says
Oh, I've been trying to reel back my cookbook purchases, but this is one I've wanted for a LONG time! Your crackers look outstanding!!! xo
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
There are so many cookbooks on my to-buy list and I've been really really good at not ordering all of them. I wish I could just buy them all with complete abandon! I've never made crackers before and you're definitely inspiring me to. I'd do it right before a dinner party so that I can impress the socks off all of my guests 😉 These look delicious, Paula! Perfectly, delightfully crunchy.
Guru Uru says
Cookbook addiction is one of my better ones 😛
But your crackers could also become an addiction - it looks so crispy and delicious!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Angie Schneider says
I guess we all have the same problem with buying way too many cookbooks! These crackers look evenly thin and crisp...perfect!
Have a marvelous week ahead, Paula!
Angie
SallyBR says
Are you reading my mind? Well, just an hour ago before we were sitting down for dinner, I told my beloved that I need to do SOMETHING about my addiction to cookbooks, that I don't like to be addicted to anything, but felt powerless....
his answer - "what's wrong with getting a cookbook? You are too hard on yourself...
(sigh, sigh, sigh)
Great recipe, I had these crackers mentally bookmarked, but you beat me by a long shot 😉
inês do crasto says
Haha cookbooks are an addiction! I'm actually thankful I don't have any money to spare on them and that I'm always on the move, making it hard to keep many books (it's quite sad, but otherwise I'ld be piling them up too).
These crackers a-ma-zing! I may be trying them out soon 🙂
Have a nice week!
Alice // Hip Foodie Mom says
I still don't own a single cookbook from Yotam Ottolenghi. . what is wrong with me?! I want Plenty and Jerusalem!! love these olive oil crackers!! They look amazing. . beautiful photos!!! How is that you come back to blogging after a long break and still manage to take amazing photos?! Beautiful!
Renee says
I just started buying a few magazines again. I haven't added to my cookbook collection lately though. I really should. And thanks for the great suggestions of ones to get along with a scrumptious cracker recipe too.
laurasmess.me says
I think most of us food bloggers have the same problem! I love cookbooks and the ottolenghi ones are among my favourites! These crackers look divine Paula, I can imagine how wonderful they would be with creamy dips! It's such fun making crackers, I only tried making them for the first time a few months ago snd I don't think I'd go back to prepacked ones! Hope you are well lovely, I've gotten so behind on reading during my travels xxx
Viviana says
In your own words somewhere else, I couldn´t agree more...about everything! Haha! Genius crackers...trying them, flour and kneading mean the same to me!!
ahu @ ahueats says
Oh I love this recipe - and I totally agree, there is no going back once you start making your own bread & crackers! I love the spices you used, I might try it with some cracked red pepper as well.
Medeja says
I am trying to stop myself from buying more cookbooks or magazines.. 🙂
These crackers look very addictive!