Sourdough Crackers - 9 Grains Original

Sourdough crackers close-up

These delicious treats will not only use up any pre-dough left over from bread baking, but are tasty, versatile and easy-to-make. You can alter the amount of salt and spice, or change spices to meet your taste. They're really good with soft cheeses or paté.

Yield:  About thirty-six, 1 1/2-inch X 1 1/2-inch crackers
Time to make: About 20 minutes
Tools needed:  Food processor and/or blender. Rolling pin with spacers. Bench knife or thin spatula. Pizza peel or thin sheet of cardboard (for transferring crackers to oven). Pizza stone or steel, or cookie sheet. Measuring cups and spoons, or scale. Pizza cutter or cookie cutter.


NOTE: For instructions to make pre-dough, click HERE.









 

 

Ingredients

1/4 cup (96 grams) pre-dough (See Note)
1/4 cup (35 grams) sorghum flour
3 Tablespoons (28 grams) millet flour
1/8 teaspoon xanthan gum
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (or other pungent spices)
About 1/3 cup oat flour for dusting work surface and rolling pin

Procedure:

1) Place the pizza stone, or pizza steel, or cookie sheet on a high rack in the oven. Heat oven to 425.

2) Measure pre-dough into a blender or food processor. Blend to a fine purée. Add the sorghum flour, millet flour and xanthan gum and pulse several times to blend. Add the butter cubes and pulse until cubes are reduced to small spheres, about the size of blueberries, and a heavy dough has formed.

3) Generously dust a work surface. Turn dough out onto work surface and divide in half. Knead dough by folding and pressing, integrating some of the dusting flour, until dough has lost some stickiness. Dust a rolling pin and roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness (rolling pin spacers help), frequently sliding a thin spatula or bench scraper under dough to prevent it sticking. Evenly sprinkle half the cumin seeds and half the salt across the dough. Lightly roll one last time to press the seeds into the dough, then cut dough into cracker shapes.

4) Use a pizza peel or thin sheet of cardboard to transfer crackers to the oven. Place crackers directly on hot stone, steel, or cookie sheet. Bake for 7 minutes on stone or steel, 9 minutes on cookie sheet. Remove from oven using peel or cardboard and transfer to a cooling rack. After a few minutes, crackers will be cool enough to taste. Adjust cooking time, salt and spices to taste, then roll, cut, season and bake the second batch of dough.

To store. Crackers deteriorate quickly in a humid environment (like mine in New Jersey). Once cool they should be placed in a zip-lock bag. I'm sure they won't last long anyway - not if you've got a good supply of cheese!