Recipe: Homemade Wheat Thins (crackers)

WHEAT THINS

"These crisp little wheat crackers with a hint of vanilla sweetness shatter the myth of "heavy" whole wheat. They're so light, it's impossible to stop eating them. Every time we made them, they disappeared - we had to hide sonic to test how long they'd stay crisp!"

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon paprika
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick, 2 ounces) butter
1/4 cup (2 ounces) water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
Additional salt for topping (optional)

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
Combine the flour, sugar, salt and paprika in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it in thoroughly, using your fingers, a pastry blender, a mixer or a food processor.

Combine the 1/4 cup water and vanilla, and add to the flour mixture, mixing until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with parchment paper.

TO ROLL AND CUT THE DOUGH:
Divide the dough into 4 pieces; keep the other pieces covered while you work with one at a time. Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin and roll the piece of dough into a large rectangle, which should be at least 12-inches square when trimmed. Keep your pin and the surface of your dough evenly floured. Flip the dough frequently to keep it from sticking, but too much flour will make it difficult to roll. Keep rolling until the dough is as thin as you can get it without tearing, at least 1/16-inch thick.

Trim the dough to even the edges and use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the piece into squares approximately 1 1/2-inches wide.

Transfer the squares to a prepared baking sheet; you can crowd them together, as they don't expand while baking. Sprinkle the squares lightly with salt, if desired. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough. Save the scraps under plastic wrap and reroll them all at once just one time.

TO BAKE THE CRACKERS:
Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time, until crisp and browned, 5 to 7 minutes. If some of the thinner crackers brown too quickly, remove them and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking. These crackers bake quickly, so watch them closely - even 30 seconds can turn them from golden brown to toastl Remove the crackers from the oven and cool on the pan or on a plate; they cool quickly.

These crackers will stay crisp for several days, but are best stored in airtight containers.

NUTRITION INFORMATION PER SERVING (20 CRACKERS, 29G): l8g whole grains, 101 cal, 5g fat, 2g protein, 11g complex carbohydrates, 2g sugar, 2g dietary fiber, 13mg cholesterol, 108mg sodium, 64mg potassium, 48RE vitamin A, 1mg iron, 7mg calcium, 53mg phosphorus.

Makes about 13 dozen crackers
Source: King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking by King Arthur Flour