Introduction

Wander down the snack aisle of the grocery store or peruse any specialty foods shop, and you’ll find scores of crackers on the shelves, from preservative-laden fish-shaped snacks to elegant flatbreads with “Tuscan herbs.” The average box of crackers can cost as much as a good cheese, but turn that box around and look at the ingredients list, and you’ll find they’re all made with the same simple, inexpensive ingredients: flour, oil, and salt.

The same question comes to my mind every time I see rows of pricey crackers in stores: Why would anyone spend that kind of money when all the ingredients you need to make your own better-than-boxed crackers are in your pantry right now? Homemade crackers are as easy to make as a batch of cookies, they are much tastier than mass-produced crackers, and they’re great to give as a homemade gift. Perhaps the reason more people aren’t making their own crackers is that there has never been a book to show home bakers how—until now.