Seeded Crackers - Alton Brown

Submitted by DrGaellon

"From "Good Eats," episode "Flat Is Beautiful: Going Crackers". You really need an aluminum-free double-acting baking powder for this, but if you can't find one, go with 1/2 t baking powder and 1 t cream of tartar."

 

• Ready In: 54mins
• Ingredients: 8
• Serves: 10-12

ingredients

• 5 ounces whole wheat flour (about 1 cup)
• 4 3⁄4 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 1⁄3 cup sesame seeds
• 1⁄3 cup poppy seed
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons table salt
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 1⁄2 fluid ounces water (3/4 cup plus 1 tbsp)

directions

1. Combine in a medium bowl: both flours, both seeds, salt, baking powder. Stir well. Stir in oil. Add water and stir until just combined.
2. Turn dough out onto a floured board. Knead a few times, to ensure dough is evenly mixed and smooth. Cut into 8 pieces and cover with a towel 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 450°F.
4. Flatten one dough ball and pass through a pasta roller at the widest setting. Reduce the pasta roller and continue rolling through and tightening down until dough is about 1/8" thick. Place dough sheet on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Using pizza cutter, cut sheets into 2x2" squares, removing any leftover irregular edges. Bake 8-12 minutes or until browned and crisp. Transfer to a rack and cool completely. Store in a zip top bag with as much air removed as possible. Use within 2 week.s.

Reviews

[sql_yoda]

I made this recipe at least a dozen times with slight variations before I found this variant that works a bit better for my tastes...<br/><br/>DO NOT use any leaveners. No baking powder, no baking soda, no nothing... Trust me on this, we're rolling it way thinner than Alton wants us to, so we don't need it.<br/><br/>Instead of using whole wheat flour, use 1 cup of rye flour... rye flour is a bit heavier so do not use the weight measures in the recipe... just measure 1 cup and use it. This will not make a huge difference depending on weather because rye flour is very coarse and very heavy... 1 cup is about the same as 1 cup no matter where you are.<br/><br/>Use a half teaspoon of dry cultured buttermilk in lieue of leaveners.<br/><br/>Add an extra half teaspoon of table salt.<br/><br/>Add an extra teaspoon of olive oil. <br/><br/>Mix in the water a tiny bit at a time until the dough comes together completely but does not become sticky.<br/><br/>Follow the recipe, with the edits above, until you roll it out. Roll it out AS THIN AS YOU CAN MANAGE. This may mean you have to rest the dough a few times between rolls, depending on how 'hard' the white flour is, but the 1/8th inch called for in the original recipe is WAY too thick. We're aiming closer to 1/20. Just use your pasta roller's smallest setting, or use grandma's rolling pin until you can't flatten it out any more.<br/><br/>Bake for the same time and temp, but be prepared to allow an extra minute on each tray... they can burn easily, but without the leavener they undercook easily too, so stay at your station and pull them just when you smell the sesame seeds toasting and just before they burn.<br/><br/>The results of this bastardization of Alton's recipe is the most hearty, savory and satisfying substitute for potato chips you could imagine. As long you can manage to cook them for just the right amount of time these crisps are without rival, and they are by far healthier and even a bit tastier!<br/><br/>I never could get the crackers recipe right but I totally nailed this "wheat thins" variant on it. Give it a try!

 

[adopt a greyhound]

These are so good. I used black sesame seeds with the poppy seeds as I didn't have enough for the 1/3 c. also used white sesame seeds. Used the dry buttermilk. KA Pasta rollers down to #3 and thought that was thin enough. 8 min. was perfect.

 

[rosslare]

I rolled these thinner, and they are really good and crispy to go with cheese.

 

[carolinajewel]

Wonderful and easy to make! Gave me an excuse to use the pasta roller!

 

[Claypipe]

Easy to make, especially if you use a pasta roller, very tasty. But must warn you, after you make these, you'll be ruined forever from store bought crackers!