Crackers

Freshly baked crackers are a rarity today, yet they are easy to make. The stiff, pliable dough made from flour, salt and water, should be rolled as thinly as possible. Lifted in one piece on to the baking sheet, the dough is scored in squares, pricked to prevent rising, then baked in the oven. It may also be baked in large or small rounds on a griddle, although this is harder to control as the dough tends to buckle and rise from the hot surface.

Wheat flour crackers often have butter rubbed into the flour before water is added, but if whole wheat, cornmeal, or oatmeal flour is used, the dough is usually plain, perhaps with a little sugar or honey for flavor. These more robust crackers are often called flat breads. Some wheat flour must be included to hold the mixture together. Rye flour adds a sharp taste, oats and millet a nutty one; flavorings include strong cheese such as Parmesan, coarse salt, caraway, celery and sesame seeds, and spices. American soda crackers are particularly crisp, a result of the dough being rolled and folded until smooth.