Recipe: Homemade Wheat Crackers

HOMEMADE WHEAT CRACKERS

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1/2 to 2/3 cup 1% milk
salt or sesame seeds (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large bowl or food processor, combine the flours, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Blend in the milk slowly, adding just enough to form a dough that will hold together in a cohesive ball*. Divide the dough into 2 equal portions. On a floured surface or pastry cloth, roll the crackers thin, 1/16 to 1/8-inch.

If desired, lightly sprinkle the tops with salt or sesame seeds and gently roll over the dough with rolling pin. With a sharp knife, cut the crackers into 2-inch squares. Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet. Prick each cracker in 2 or 3 places with the tines of a fork.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crackers are lightly browned. Cool on a rack.

If stored in an airtight container in a cool place, crackers will remain fresh and crisp for several weeks. If they become soggy, restore crispness by baking in a 300 degrees F oven 4 to 5 minutes.

*Cracker dough can be refrigerated or frozen. Place in an airtight container before storing. Make sure the dough is pliable before using.

Yields 95-100 crackers
Nutrient Analysis. Each cracker contains: 15 calories, 3 g carbohydrates, .3 g fat, .8 mcg folacin, 9 mg sodium.

TIPS:
- Rolling the dough to an even thickness is important to ensure uniform baking. This cannot be overemphasized. In most cases, the dough should be 1/16 to 1/8- inch thick. The thinnest, crispiest crackers are rolled out almost paper thin.

- Divide the dough into portions to be rolled separately. If rolling very thin crackers, divide into three portions.

- The working surface should be smooth, lightly floured and cold.

- Use a pastry cloth or pastry frame and rolling pin stocking to prevent sticking.

- Pat the dough into a thick, flat disc. Press the rolling pin in the center and begin rolling the dough with even strokes out from the center.

- Roll gently, but steadily. A light touch makes shaping the dough easier. Too much pressure will result in uneven dough and cooking.

- If crackers cut from the center are thicker, separate the crackers and roll over the thicker ones individually. Sprinkle a little more flour on the rolling surface if the dough starts to get sticky.

- Experiment with rolling out the dough. Some recipes call for rolling out the dough and then placing it on a baking sheet. Others say to place the disc of dough on the baking sheet before rolling. Another might say to cut individual crackers from the dough and place on baking sheet.

- Use a sharp knife to score the dough and form the desired shape of crackers. Cut almost all the way through the dough. It will bake as one piece, but can be broken easily along the scored line after cooking and cooling.

- If the recipes calls for pricking the dough, it is important to push the fork all the way through to prevent air bubbles and keep the dough lying flat.

- Most cracker recipes call for a topping, either salt or seeds. If so, either brush the crackers with an egg or milk glaze or press the topping into the dough with the rolling pin. Or, place the seeds on the rolling board, lay the individual crackers over them, and roll gently. If sprinkling coarse salt on top of the crackers, try using less in the dough.

- Always preheat the oven to ensure even baking. Bake one sheet at a time. To ensure even browning, place the sheet in the center of the oven on an upper middle rack. Crispiness depends on sufficient cooking time and temperature. If the temperature is too high, the outer layer of the dough bakes too quickly and forms an envelope which traps the moisture inside. The moisture must have enough time to escape the dough.
- Check the crackers periodically. If those at the edge are already brown, pull them off and continue baking the rest.

- Cool crackers on a rack in single layers to promote crispiness. If they don't seem crispy fresh out of the oven, let them cool for a few minutes. They often crisp up while cooling. If not, place back in the oven for a few more minutes. Gluten in flour gives dough elasticity. While this is important for breadmaking, developing gluten is not required, or even desirable, for most crackers. Over-development can make the cracker chewy, tough and difficult to roll. Unless specified, do not knead cracker dough. However, it is important to thoroughly mix the ingredients.

Source: Kansas Wheat Commission