Flatbread Crackers: These homemade flatbread crackers are easy to make, and so much better than store bought. Guests will be so impressed.
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This flatbread cracker recipe is very easy and made from pantry ingredients. It's become a favourite of mine. It's perfect for any cheese board, or charcuterie board and guests can never believe that the crackers are homemade.
Yes, you can make your own homemade crackers. And yes, they are worth it. This recipe is easy, simple to change up flavour wise, and so, so yummy.
So I was at a swanky cocktail reception, downtown about a month ago, and meandered over to their cheese board, like you do, and noticed the amazing handmade looking, artisan flatbread crackers and thought to myself, like every blogger does, maybe I could make those. When I got home I started to experiment. I've made this recipe so many times since, and it is so good.
Picnics
These crackers are great for a summer picnic. I packed them up with some cheese, nuts, dried fruit, red pepper honey, and individual bottles of sparkling wine for the perfect portable picnic feast.
Charcuterie Boards
These delicious crackers are not just for picnics though, now that charcuterie boards have become so popular as the starter for a meal, or indeed as the whole meal! These thin ovals are light, crispy, crunchy and perfect with a variety of cheeses and a bottle of wine. Or try them with your favorite dip. They add so much interest and wow factor to your charcuterie board. Make some with different flavors and add them all to your appetizer board to really impress. You will love this delicious recipe.
Making your own crackers might seem a little next level. But I promise these crackers are pretty simple to put together and the taste really is worth the extra effort. I think they're especially worth it when you're entertaining. They're guaranteed to impress. And if you're serving a charcuterie board, changes are the rest of the ingredients are pretty easy to put together. You're going to buy the cheese the meat, add some little extras like fruit, nuts, chutney. All of these are most likely very easy to prep, so you can put a little extra effort into the crackers. Honestly they're worth it.
Gift Giving
These amazing handmade flatbread crackers are also a great hostess gift. They're sure to be impressed when the recipient hears that you made them yourself. Pair them with some cheese and wine for a guaranteed big hit. The large pieces look amazing packaged up in airtight cello bags, tied with some ribbon for gift giving.
Shaping the Crackers
I think these rustic crackers look really great as large thin ovals. Each one is a little different and that adds to their artisanal handmade charm. If you're serving these on a charcuterie board, leave some whole. You can also break some into smaller pieces. We love how even when they're broken into individual crackers, each cracker piece is slightly different in terms of shapes and sizes. You can use cookie cutters to shape the crackers, or cut the dough into even squares using a pizza cut before baking, but I love the look of the rough edges of the large ovals.
Try Different Flavourings
We made our crispy crackers with salt and pepper, but when you make your own crackers you can substitute pepper for other flavourings. You might try adding fresh herbs like fresh rosemary, or thyme, or some spices like garlic powder, or cayenne pepper. Some parmesan cheese would be a great addition. Or try adding nuts or cumin seeds, fennel seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds. Use your imagination for your own cracker flavor creations and enjoy!
Rolling the Dough
One of the keys to making these flatbread cracker is making the dough as thin as possible. This creates a nice light, and crispy flat bread cracker. You can use a rolling pin to roll out the crackers, which is what I usually do. I usually roll the dough out right onto a sheet of parchment paper, so it's really easy to transfer on to the baking sheet to cook it.
If you have a pasta machine though, you might find it easy to run the dough through the pasta roller to get a nice thin, and uniform dough sheet. Start out on the thickest setting and work your way down to the thinner settings. Ideally you want your dough to be about ⅛ inch thick, or even thinner. You can experiment a little and see what your favourite is. I think the thinner the dough the better the cracker.
Storing Homemade Crackers
These crackers are so delicious because they're so nice and crispy. They lose a lot of their charm if become chewy. The first step in creating nice crisp crackers is to roll out the dough as thin as possible. The second step is to store them properly. You will want to store any leftover crackers in an airtight container in a cool dry place. Stored this way they will last sometime, but they may go stale and lose their crispness quite quickly. They are better eaten fresh. When entertaining, try and make these crackers the day of for the best results. If you're giving these crackers as a gift, be sure to they're in an airtight container or a cellophane bag that is tied tightly to keep them as crisp as possible.
And one more tip, when you're creating your charcuterie board for entertaining, make sure to add your crackers just before serving. Your board filled with cheese, meats, dips, and accompaniments can be stored in the fridge after making it, but before guests arrive. But don't add the crackers and put them in the fridge too. They will lose their crispness. Add your crackers to the board after you take it out of the fridge and just before serving. And don't put your crackers next to anything wet or soggy, like grapes that are wet from washing them, or veggies. Serve them in a dry location on your cheese board or in a separate basket
This is one of those great recipes that you will make again and again. It's easy, and made with simple ingredients you probably have on hand. The look and the taste of these rustic flatbread is sure to impress anyone you serve them to.
Recipe
Flatbread Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ - ½ teaspoon of coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup water
- ⅓ cup olive oil plus more for brushing
- flaky sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F
- Stir together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Add very coarsely freshly ground black pepper to taste and stir dry ingredients to incorporate. Make a well in centre, then add water and oil and gradually stir into the flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms.
- Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times into a smooth ball. Divide dough into 6 equal pieces and roll out each of the dough pieces with a rolling pin on a lightly floured work surface, into a rustic long baton shape. The rolled dough should be very thin. Lightly brush the top of the flatbread with additional olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and a little more pepper. (Roll out dough on a piece of parchment paper and transfer the whole sheet of parchment paper with the cracker dough on top to the cookie sheet, or just spray baking tray with cooking spray and bake directly on baking sheet.)
- Bake the remaining dough in batches, until flatbread crackers are pale golden brown, 8 to 10 min. Let the baked crackers cool on wire racks. Flatbread crackers can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Cook’s Note: Substitute pepper for other flavouring. You might try fresh herbs like rosemary, or thyme, or some parmesan cheese, or try adding nuts or seeds. Use your imagination and enjoy!
Nutrition
With Homemade Flatbread Crackers, life really is a party!
More Recipe Inspiration
You might also like our Spicy Cheese Straws recipe here.
Also check out our Homemade Potato Chip recipe here.
You might also enjoy our How To Make The Perfect Cheeseboard here.
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