Michelle Darmody: How to bake seed crackers — and the mistakes to avoid

Pic: iStock

There is often an abundance of cheese and dips at Christmas and New Year that might still be in the fridge. Making a batch of crackers can help to use up the leftovers. 

In addition, starting off the new year with a seed-filled snack, after the decadence of the festive season, provides energy and nutrition. In fact these crackers are handy to have in the cupboard at any time of year.

Hard-baked products like crackers, made from flour and a little moisture, have been around for hundreds of years. 

They made it easier for people to travel long journeys before there was access to refrigeration, the crackers could be stored for a long time without spoiling unlike softer breads. 

They could be packed along with a wedge of hard cheese and some cured meat to keep a traveller fed on adventures and expeditions.

This recipe uses rye flour as its base. It is darker and has a nutty, slightly malty flavour, which is stronger than wheat flour. 

I find the flavour is great with cheese, particularly soft goats' cheese, the rye cutting through the creaminess. 

Rye flour is also easier for many people to digest as it contains less gluten than wheat and it also has more fibre. 

I use pumpkin seeds in this recipe as I love their wonderful green colour and they provide a great crunch, but there are many more options that work nicely.

Seed Crackers

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

This recipe uses rye flour as its base. It is darker and has a nutty, slightly malty flavour, which is stronger than wheat flour.

Servings

14

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 12 mins

Total Time

 27 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 300g rye flour

• ½ tsp baking powder, sieved

• 1 tsp fine sea salt

• ½ tsp cracked black pepper

• 1 tsp honey

• 30g soft butter

• 175mls warm water

• 1 egg white, whisked

• 30g pumpkin seeds

• a sprinkling sea salt flakes

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6 and line a large flat baking tray with parchment.

2. Sieve the flour, baking powder and salt together into a large bowl

3. Add in the pepper, honey, butter and water and combine until it forms a sticky dough.

4. Lightly flour a work surface and tip the dough onto it. Flour a rolling pin.

5. Roll the dough as thin as you can.

6. Cut the dough into rectangles and place them on the baking tray, pricking each one with a fork after you do.

7. Brush each cracker with the whisked egg white and press a sprinkling of seeds and a sprinkling of salt flakes into each cracker.

8. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 12 minutes.

9. Once the crackers are cool enough to handle, place them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Bakers' Tips

• It is best not to overmix the dough, just bring everything together gently. It will seem sticky at first but once you roll it on your floured surface it should firm up.
• Flouring the rolling pin will be important as the dough will not roll well if the rolling pin sticks to it.
• When rolling it is best to use the rolling pin lightly and not press down too much. The pin is there to tease the dough gently into shape.
• It is good to roll the dough out very evenly so you get the best results. Roll it as evenly and as thinly as you can. The thinner the dough, the crispier the crackers will be. If your dough is too thick your crackers will be more like breadsticks in texture and not have a snap when cracked.
• You may have to use a butter knife to gently remove each cracker from your countertop before placing it on your baking tray. You can also place a sheet of parchment under the dough as you roll it. This can help if you are worried it might stick too much to your countertop.
• After you cut out your crackers you can reroll any scraps to ensure that you get the most out of your dough.
• Ovens all heat differently and crackers can burn very quickly if your oven is too hot. If you have a glass door you can keep an eye on them and if you feel your crackers might burn at the edges before they are fully cooked, you can reduce the heat until they have finished cooking. If you do not have a glass door you can check in on them by quickly opening the door. You want them crisp and dry but not too dark in colour.
• It is good to cut your crackers to approximately the same size. Uniformly shaped crackers will bake more evenly.
• The crackers will last a week or so in an airtight container. Allow them to cool fully and then place them into the container and store them in a cool place.

Three delicious variations

Cheesy linseed crackers

This recipe works wonderfully with the addition of cheese. 

I find that a harder cheese such as parmesan or cheddar works best. 

You can add 30g of grated cheese when you are adding the honey, butter and water. 

Sprinkle the linseeds onto the dough as you are rolling it, then press them into the dough with the rolling pin before cutting the crackers. 

This will give you a nice texture when you are eating them.

Caraway crackers

Caraway always reminds me of Spanish baking. 

It adds a really nice flavour that works very well with cheese. 

Add a teaspoon of caraway seeds when you are adding the black pepper.

Rosemary crackers

For this version you can use a sprig of rosemary. Remove leaves from the stalk and chop the leaves very finely. 

Add these when you are adding the honey, butter and water. 

You can use different seeds on top if you like or just make the crackers without the seeds so you get the full flavour of rosemary. 

This also works with thyme instead of the rosemary.