Homemade Whole Wheat Crackers
I jumped at the idea of making whole wheat crackers from scratch. These are everything you'd want in a homemade cracker: thin, crisp, salty, and wheaty—simply irresistible.
Servings 30 crackers
Calories 34kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups finely ground whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt plus additional for topping
- ¼ teaspoon paprika I sometimes use black pepper
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter cold, in small pieces
- ¼ cup cold water
Instructions
- Combine 1 ¼ cups finely ground whole wheat flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, ½ teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt and ¼ teaspoon paprika in a large mixing bowl.
- Scatter 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and in pieces, on top. Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse cornmeal.
- Drizzle ¼ cup cold water, and stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until combined.
- Transfer to the counter and knead a few times until it comes together. Don't overdo it. The dough should be stiff but smooth with no dry spots. If it's too dry, you can add a teaspoon of extra water at a time.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Lightly grease baking sheets or line them with parchment paper.
- Roll the dough (half at a time for easier handling) into a thin rectangle on a well-floured counter. They really need to be rolled thin so they bake crisp. Check frequently to make sure the dough isn’t sticking. If it is, gently scrape a spatula underneath to lift it, then flour the counter again.
- Using a pastry wheel or large kitchen knife, cut squares about 1 ½ inches in diameter. To resemble store-bought crackers, you can make indentations in the crackers with the end of a brochette stick or something similar. This is optional and will not alter the flavor, but it will make them flatter when they bake.
- Transfer the crackers carefully to the baking sheets. They don’t spread much so no need to space them a lot. Sprinkle with additional salt.
- Bake the crackers until crisp and bronzed, about 5 to 7 minutes, always keeping an eye on them as they are thin and can brown quickly.
- Cool on wire racks.
- Store in an airtight container for about a week or more. Or freeze them in an airtight container between sheets of waxed or freezer paper for a month.
Notes
The thickness and drying them in the oven are key to making crisp crackers. Roll them thin and bake them carefully, turning the baking sheet around and adjusting the oven temperature so they dry out evenly. Opposite to what we want for cookies, where the outer layer is dry but the inside is still soft.
Baking time: consider that all ovens and pans are different, even if they look similar. The baking time in my recipes is as accurate as possible, but it might take you more or less time. You can use a thermometer to check that your oven is at the right temperature. I recommend keeping track of how your oven works and what tiny details you might need to adjust.
Do a test bake. I always recommend baking two or three crackers to find your sweet spot regarding baking time and texture. Check the time to ensure you don't over or underbake them.
Salt: I use kosher salt. Other types of coarse salt, like sea salt, also work. I don't recommend table salt for sprinkling.
Seeds: I like them plain with a sprinkle of salt. You can add sesame seeds, flax seeds or other similar types. I recommend mixing a tablespoon or so with the dough as you add the flour, as they don't always adhere well when sprinkling them on top before baking.
Nutrition
Calories: 34kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 19mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 55IU
