Small Man adores crackers.
I couldn’t make enough of them for him – I’d fill the cookie jar in the morning, and he’d empty it before dinner that evening. I needed to find an easier way to churn them out, and after a discussion with Greg from Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide, I thought I’d try using the pasta machine.
I originally experimented with a double batch of olive oil and paprika dough (based on an Ottolenghi recipe, which I originally blogged about here):
- 500g plain (all purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 10g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
- 230ml water
- 50ml olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 6g (1 teaspoon) fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
- several generous grinds of black pepper
- Maldon flaky salt for sprinkling
1. In a large bowl, mix together all the ingredients except the Maldon salt. Squelch the mix between your fingers to get it all combined, then turn the dough out onto a clean workbench and knead it briefly until smooth. Wrap in cling film and leave it to rest for an hour in the fridge.
2. Preheat the oven to 210°C (or 200°C with fan). Dust the bench well and turn out the dough, dividing it into 20 roughly equal sized pieces. Roll each into a ball, and cover with a tea towel, working with just one at a time.
3. Flatten a ball of dough, dust well with flour, and pass it through the pasta roller – I started on the widest setting and worked down to six on my machine. Each small ball of dough ends up as a long thin oval. Dust with flour as needed.
4. Place the crackers on a parchment lined baking tray, brush the tops with a little olive oil, then sprinkle on the Maldon salt flakes. Bake for 6 – 8 minutes, rotating once during the baking time, until crisp and golden brown. Store in an airtight container.
Our second attempt – a poppy seed version – proved to be even more popular with Small Man than the original…
- 500g plain (all purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
- 10g (2 teaspoons) baking powder
- 230ml water
- 50ml olive oil, plus extra for brushing
- 6g (1 teaspoon) fine sea salt
- 16g (4 teaspoons) poppy seeds
- several generous grinds of black pepper
- Maldon flaky salt for sprinkling
A few notes:
- The rolled out “leaves” (as Small Man calls them) are quite long – if you have a standard 60cm oven, you’ll probably only be able to fit two or three per tray. Even with my free standing 90cm Smeg oven, it takes me at least two bakes to get these all done.
- The dough quantity can easily be halved, but I find the large batch gives us plenty to share. Also, it seems a great shame to heat up the oven for just one short bake!
- Be a little careful with the poppy seed crackers – if they get too dark, the seeds can end up bitter. I found eight minutes was the perfect time in my oven, but nine minutes was too long – your oven will probably be different, so you might need to experiment a little.
This cracker dough is a joy to work with – it’s not overly sticky, so it doesn’t make a mess of the pasta machine or the bench, and because it isn’t yeasted, it doesn’t need to prove prior to rolling out and baking. I have found that resting it in the fridge improves the flavour of the finished crackers, but it’s not essential if you’re in a rush.
Small Man has already made short work of the ones in the cookie jar – just as well I hid some in a sealed bag in the pantry for tomorrow!
Fig Jam and Lime Cordial 
I’m with the Small Man, give me a bushel of these! Thanks, C! Hugs, Maz.
Maz, you’re the queen of crackers! :)
I absolutely love how you used your pasta maker for cracker dough! So creative – and just the right tool for the job.
Thanks Deb, I’m sure it’s not an original idea, but it really works so well! We don’t actually make pasta at home much anymore, so it was good to find a “new” use for it! :)
I have been toying with making crackers. We go through so many I could never keep up with how many my boys can pack away, but this looks like a good start. Love the pasta machine idea. Thanks for sharing.
MamaD, the nice thing about this recipe is that it’s unyeasted, so you don’t have to wait for doughs to rise. Having said that, the flavour does seem to improve a bit with resting in the fridge.
Very nice, Celia. I put mine through the pasta machine and then cut them into small rectangle pieces – perfect with dips etc.
Glenda, do you use a pizza cutter to do that? It’s a nice idea…would be neater than breaking them up into bits after they’re baked like we do..
Hi Celia, yep- a wheelie one. The crackers made from the edges aren’t perfectly rectangular, but no one seems to care. People think you are smart just because you made them :)
Great idea! We buy a lot of crackers. Will have to try these.
I’m having fun reading all the IMK posts this month! (Even if I don’t comment on all or have my own blog!)
Manuela, thank you for doing that! I wish you DID have your own blog so we could peek into your world too! :)
lovely post I an going to have a go at these as I am out of crackers will have to get pasta machine but will try without in the morning
Linda, you can easily roll these out by hand – it just takes more time! :)
will try thanks for sharing again
Gosh you are a clever cook, Celia! Now, if only I had a small man or two still around to feed! : )
Liz, they keep quite well if you can seal them in an airtight bag – then they’re always on hand when you need crackers! :)
I love making crackers too they are so moreish but you are right it is hard to roll a lot of them out ( especially at that eating pace). This is the perfect solution and I should get onto it straight away!
I need to make more too, but now I’m obsessively baking bread! :)
Mmm- these look so good. I have only made crackers a couple of times as I’m the only one who likes them. Great idea using the pastry machine!
Thanks Heidi! They’re really popular here – even with the pasta machine, it’s hard to keep up with demand! :D
Gosh, these look so good. I don’t make crackers enough — gotta try these. thanks.
Most welcome. Enjoy! :)
Celia, these remind me of lavosh that is a yeasted flat bread. I used to make it years ago using the pasta machine. I’d totally forgotten about it. I recently donated my pasta machine to my grandkids school’s Kitchen Garden Scheme, now with a few regrets!
Sandra, lavosh was the big thing in restaurant bread baskets in the late 80s, and I loved them! :)
I have a similar recipe but it uses a tonne of butter so I haven’t done it for a while. These look really moreish I’m not surprised Little Man goes through them so quickly.
Nancy, these make something similar to a water cracker. And yes, Small Man eats them like a machine.. :)
What a clever idea to use your pasta maker! I’m with Small Man, too. I used to love crackers but currently have had to leave them and all grain products alone. Am hoping I can return to eating at least gluten free ones some day!
Ardys, I reckon gluten-free crackers are doable you know, as they don’t need to be yeasted. You’ve given me an idea now – I’ll let you know how I go! :)
These look like crackers on steroids. I am with Small Man as well, I would be using these babies to scoop up dips and to cover with toppings. I think I might have to resist them after a while as unlike Small Man my trousers tend to stop doing up after I raid the biscuit barrel too many times ;)
Fran, we’re all getting a bit rotund here too. Well, Pete and I are, the boys are still pretty lean.. :)
Lol Rotund means that we are resilient for future food droughts…just doing our bit ;)
I suppose you could store the dough in the fridge and bake a batch each time you have the oven going for something else?
Tandy, I’m not sure how long the dough would keep for in the fridge? It’s easier to make a large batch and then seal them in airtight bags.. :)
Great looking crackers, Celia. I make a lot of crackers with sourdough but must try this recipe. I agree that the pasta machine is great (except if you have heaps of big seeds). Try adding some garlic to the recipe but really watch out because it burns too.
Liz, I’ve never tried sourdough crackers! Now there’s an interesting idea…thanks…
I can’t wait to run some crackers through the pasta machine. I saw some the other day done that way and I was so eager to reach in and bite one.
Maureen, I was really surprised how well it worked! x
Hi Celia, you area a clever cook! Your family are so lucky :) x
Stefanie, you’re very kind, thank you! x
What a BRILLIANT idea! Using the pasta machine is so clever. Man, these growing boys are hard to keep up with! xx
Em, you haven’t seen anything yet, just wait.. :D
I need to make these – we eat a lot of crackers but I rarely make them. But using the pasta machine is pure genius!
Chica, I saw something similar on sale in small packets at the local deli for $8 – Small Man would hoover that up in minutes. :) In the end, not making our own wasn’t an option.. :)
Fantastic idea Celia! My pasta machine gets used for icing sheets and cookie dough, but not once for actual pasta :) I’m with Small Man, savoury over sweet any time please xox
Becca, we don’t make much pasta either – it was nice to find a new use for it! :)
I love crackers too! In fact I can’t make them because I will plough through them while I’m at the computer and that is kind of a quick way to an expanding bottom! :P
I think it’s the crunch – I find them irresistible too!
Two words – Healthy and Tasty! Great pics, too, Celia!
Julie
Gourmet Getaways
Thanks Jules! Fun to make too!
I must make some more crackers soon, they are addictive :) Yours look very good indeed !
They are addictive! :) I’ve made yeasted ones before, but these really are just as nice..
I’ve never made crackers but I did read on a blog recently that it takes a pasta machine to get them to the right thickness. I really must attempt crackers! I love the look of these but had no idea poppy seeds become bitter – thanks for the tip xx
Charlie, you can roll them out by hand as well, but it does take a bit of work…
now that is a BRIGHT idea – to use your pasta machine. I still haven’t got round to buying a pasta machine, but now I’ve seen this is back on my shopping list!
Claire, we don’t make pasta on our machine very often, so it’s lovely to have a reason to use it! :)
I might make these this weekend. I’m out of homemade crackers. Very nice looking.
Thanks for the inspiration Greg! :)
I must make these beauties & what a great tasty idea to use the pasta machine for these beauties to flatten them evenly! Waw even! xxx
Thank you for such a great recipe – again! I made the dough this afternoon and my daughter had a great time putting it through the pasta machine whilst I was preparing dinner. We baked a few following your recipe then we started playing with flavours, adding chilli with the salt on top, then dried mixed herbs and finally a bit of garlic butter…mmmm they were all delicious. Thank you Celia, so pleased I found you.
Great idea for the pasta machine. I’m going to have to bookmark this one to try for sure.