Going Crackers

Ever since I went gluten free, I have had to deal with carrying my own snacks around. Most of it being nuts and dried fruit. After a while I started missing the salty crispy goodness of a plain cracker. Gone are the days of slathering soft cheese on crackers with thinly sliced salumi, jamon and chorizo. Yes, there are potato chips for snacking but it lacks the structure of a cracker. Light, creamy, salty and ever so delicately crispy.  I have tried making one a month ago and it was a  disaster.  Felt like I was eating cardboard, dense and tasteless. After that attempt, I was disheartened to try again.  However, my food cravings got the best of my this weekend. After finishing a batch of trail mix I made, I got the courage to try out another recipe. This time, these were the results:

Wholemeal Crackers

1 1/4 cups all purpose gluten free flour

1/2 cup sweet white sorghum flour

1/4 cup teff flour (or more sorghum flour

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

\ 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 1/2 teapsoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled

1/2 cup (4 fl. oz.) milk, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with greaseproof paper, and set it aside.

In a large bowl, place the all purpose flour, sorghum flour, teff flour, xanthan gum, sugar, baking powder, baking soda,salt, paprika, garlic and onion powders, and ground pepper, and whisk to combine well. Add the butter and milk, and mix to combine until the dough begins to come together. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Divide the dough into two parts, and press each into a small ball.*

Place the first ball of dough between two sheets of greaseproof paper, and roll into a rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. The dough should roll out quickly and easily. With a pastry wheel or sharp knife, slice the dough into 1-inch square crackers. Place the squares them on the prepared baking sheet, less than 1-inch apart (they will not spread during baking). Gather and reroll scraps. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Sprinkle the tops of the rounds liberally with kosher salt.

Place the baking sheet in the center of the preheated oven and bake, rotating once during baking, for about 9-11 minutes, or until the crackers are golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. Store in a tightly sealed glass container at room temperature. For best results, serve within 2 days.

The results? I was so delighted on the outcome. They weren't as buttery as Ritz, but more like a Wheat Thins cracker with a nutty crunch to it due to the higher sorghum flour content and the addition of Teff Flour. This really satisfied by cracker craving. My score: 9/10