Recipe courtesy of Williams-Sonoma. Adapted from Williams-Sonoma, “Essentials of Baking”, by Cathy Burgett, Elinor Klivans and Lou Seibert Pappas (Oxmoor House, 2003).
These crisp, homemade crackers can be completely altered by using different spices and herbs (see suggestions at the end of the recipe). Once you make the dough, you can roll it out, wrap it tightly with plastic wrap and freeze the sheets for up to 1 month. When you are ready for fresh crackers, just bake the frozen sheet for 20 minutes. They are excellent served as part of a cheese course with a variety of different cheeses or alongside a steaming bowl of homemade soup.
Variations
LEMON-THYME CRACKERS: Omit the poppy, sesame and mustard seeds. Add the finely grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme with the pepper.
OREGANO-PARMESAN CRACKERS: Omit the poppy, sesame and mustard seeds. Add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano and 2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese with the pepper.
SPICY JACK CHEESE CRACKERS: Omit the pepper, poppy and sesame seeds. Add 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon paprika and 2 tablespoons grated dry jack cheese with the mustard seeds.