Olive Oil Crackers

I have been wanting to make crackers for some time, but never got around to it. Until today. I needed to stay home due to some repairs taking place at home, and I needed something to go with the dip I was planning to make. And, of course, crackers go with whatever dips are being served on Superbowl Sunday, and I am sure lots of dips will be served that day!

I went looking around the 'net and came across this yummy sounding recipe. This was really fun to make and turned out great. I baked some whole sheets and broke them up, I cut some squares, and I cut 2 sizes of circles with biscuit cutters. I think my favorites are the whole sheets. I only seasoned with salt this time, but as with so many things, the sky really is the limit. Grated cheese, seeds, spices. You could sprinkle on whatever floats your boat just before popping these in the oven.


Adapted from a recipe by Heidi Swanson at 101 Cookbooks

Olive Oil Crackers

1 1/2 cups semolina flour
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup warm water
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt for sprinkling

Whisk together the flours and salt. Add the water and olive oil. Using a mixer with a dough hook attachment mix the dough at medium speed for about 5 - 7 minutes. Alternately, feel free to mix and then knead by hand on a floured counter-top. The dough should be just a bit tacky - not too dry, not too sticky to work with. If you need to add a bit more water (or flour) do so.

When you are done mixing, shape the dough into a large ball. Now cut into twelve equal-sized pieces. Gently rub each piece with a bit of olive oil, shape into a small ball and place on a plate. Cover with a clean dishtowel or plastic wrap and let rest at room temperature for 30 - 60 minutes.

While the dough is resting, preheat your oven to 450F degrees.

When the dough is done resting, flatten one dough ball. Roll into a thin sheet with a rolling pin. You can bake the entire sheet and break into crackers later, or you can cut into shapes now. Either way, place the cracker(s) on a corn-meal coated baking sheet and sprinkle with salt. Bake until nice and brown, 8-10 minutes or so. Remove the crackers from the baking sheet and proceed with the remaining dough balls. You will want to let the crackers cool before eating them to get the maximum crunch.