Fennel & Red Pepper Crackers

From Crumb

After making these the first time, I can firmly say I never want to have cheese and crackers without some homemade crackers. These crackers are so simple to make, and so full of flavor. I think they would pair well with any decent cheese: I’ve had them with goat cheese, Gouda, and cheddar to name a few. The recipe is a great basic template too - simply swap the fennel and red pepper flakes with another spice or two of interest. Za’atar has been my favorite swap so far.

Mix the Dough

• 200 grams (1 1/2 cup + 1 1/2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon baking (superfine) sugar (have not tried this with regular sugar, so report back if you do!)

• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• Pinch of black pepper

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil

• 4 1/2 tablespoons of water

1. Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet (line multiple if you have them) with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar, fennel, red pepper, black pepper) together.

3. Stir in the olive oil and water, kneading until it just comes together. If the dough is too dry, you can add a very little bit (read: less than a teaspoon) of water to bring it together.

4. Let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Bake the Crackers

• Sea salt flakes (optional)

1. After the dough has rested, lightly flour a work area and turn it out. I prefer to work with half the dough at a time, but you can certainly work with all of it at once.

2. Roll the dough out as thin as you can - ideally 1/8 inch thickness.

3. Cut the dough into any shape you want. I go for rectangles, and I don’t worry about fixing the round-ish edges. I cut it into a bunch of columns and go from there. The only thing you want to pay attention to is how big or small your shapes are. I aim for around 2 x 3 inches.

4. Place your shapes on your baking sheet, sprinkling with sea salt if desired. Don’t work too hard to fit them all on one sheet, you want to make sure they have some room. I always need to bake a few rounds.

5. Bake for about 10 minutes - your exact bake time will depend on the size of the shapes. 10 minutes is good for 2 x 3 rectangles, but I often need another minute or two if I have made them larger than that. A little brown on the edges is OK and if they are too pale looking they may not have crisped enough.

6. Transfer the crackers to a wire rack to continue cooling. Pair with your favorite cheese, or eat as a stand-alone snack and enjoy!

Let me know how your crackers were, and definitely let me know if you tried any good spice swaps!