Easy Cheese Crackers
Ingredients
Ingredients for Food Processor:
- 1 cup flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- ½ cup grated cheese of your choice (I recommend either cheddar or Parmesan)
- 1 small clove of garlic, minced (about ½ teaspoon)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup buttermilk, more as needed
Optional Toppings:
- Coarse salt, pepper, sesame or poppy seeds or seasoning of your choice
Instructions
-
Preheat oven:
Standard Oven: 350° | Convection Oven: 325°
- Add flour, salt, paprika, optional cayenne pepper, black pepper, cheese, garlic, butter, and olive oil in the bowl of a food processor.
- Pulse until ingredients are combined.
- With food processor on, slowly add buttermilk through the feed tube until the mixture holds together as a soft dough (it should not be sticky). If needed, add more buttermilk a teaspoon at a time until the mixture comes together.
- Cut 2 pieces of parchment paper that will fit in the bottom of a standard cookie sheet.
- Place the first piece of parchment paper on a flat surface.
- Place the ball of dough in the center of the parchment paper and gently shape into a rectangle.
- Place the second piece of parchment paper over the dough.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out between the two pieces of parchment paper.
- The dough should be approximately ⅛-inch thick.
- To avoid wrinkles in the dough you can flip the two pieces of paper over and gently pull the wrinkles away from the dough, then roll over the parchment paper again to smooth out the dough.
- Peel the top piece of parchment paper off of the dough.
- Sprinkle dough with any additional toppings.
- Score the dough lightly with a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or pastry wheel. Scores should be about 1-inch apart and run both horizontally and vertically on the dough. This will allow you to break the crackers into squares after they have baked.
- Gently slide or lift the parchment paper onto a cookie sheet.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until just barely golden brown. Watch the crackers carefully so they do not burn.
- Remove the sheet pan from the oven.
- Using a knife, pizza cutter or pastry wheel break the crackers apart along the scored lines.
- Spread the crackers out on the parchment paper so that they are at least ½-inch apart.
- Bake for an additional 5 to 10 minutes or until the crackers are firm to the touch and golden brown. Watch the crackers carefully so they do not burn.
- Cool on a rack.
- Serve.
Adapted from, Mark Bittman. "The Minimalist: Make It Snappy, And the Richer, The Better". The New York Times, February 4, 2009. .
Comments
Makes about 4 servings.Serve at room temperature.
Crackers can be stored in an airtight container for a few days.