Well, earlier today I bought some Il Caprino con Tartuffo truffled goat cheese and it was only after I got home that I realised that I didn’t have any bread or crackers in the house (courtesy of a mammoth pantry-cleaning where I’d turfed out anything that was getting old, stale, or I couldn’t remember when it had been purchased).

Bugger.

So after finding a gazillion recipes online and not being happy with any of them, I decided to make my own up, and this is what I ended up with…

Home made crackers for cheese

Home made crackers for cheese

They’re not too bad for a first try, although I would have preferred them a little thinner and crisper.  (Solution: let the dough rest, dammit, and omit baking powder).

Here’s the recipe that I ended up using;

  • 2 cups plain flour plus some for dusting
  • 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary (minced finely).  Feel free to replace with any selection of seasoning you want – I used rosemary, black pepper and garlic.
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder (I might reduce or leave this out next time)
  • 1 large pinch of salt plus flaky salt for dusting
  • 1/2 cup water (plus a little extra depending on how dry the dough is)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil (plus extra for brushing)

Pre-heat oven to 180C.  Combine all ingredients until you get a smooth dough and knead gently for 5 minutes or until silky.  Let the dough rest for at least 20 minutes (I’ll pay more attention to this next time.  Roll dough out very thinly on baking paper and brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with flaky salt and cut into strips (a pastry cutter or pizza roller is excellent), and then cut again at 90 degrees to make your shapes.  Cook for 10 minutes and check the colour.  They should be golden.  Turn off the oven and let them cool in the oven for added crispness.  Serve with a selection of cheese or dips.

And there you go!  Too easy!

POSTSCRIPT:  They were great with the cheese.  God, I love having a stand mixer to do all the hard work!