The Good Crackers

Give my family one of those famous golden buttery oval crackers and they stare back and ask for "the good crackers". If I had a dime for every time they asked for "the good crackers" then I would be a rich woman and Chuck would be collecting carts at Kroger after hours and asking for payment in dimes.

Knowing that homemade bread is so yummy I can only assume that homemade crackers would be equally satisfying. I finally landed on a recipe for rosemary crackers that sounded tasty and surprisingly simple. Finally a good reason to hack into the new rosemary bush sitting on the window sill.

Crisp Rosemary Flatbread
(yeah yeah yeah I know it says flatbread but its crackers darnit)
Gourmet Magazine July 2008

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon chopped rosemary plus 2 (6-inch) sprigs
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup olive oil plus more for brushing
Flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 450°F with a heavy baking sheet on rack in middle.

Stir together flour, chopped rosemary, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Make a well in center, then add water and oil and gradually stir into flour with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Knead dough gently on a work surface 4 or 5 times.

Divide dough into 3 pieces and roll out 1 piece (keep remaining pieces covered with plastic wrap) on a sheet of parchment paper into a 10-inch round (shape can be rustic; dough should be thin).

Lightly brush top with additional oil and scatter small clusters of rosemary leaves on top, pressing in slightly. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slide round (still on parchment) onto preheated baking sheet and bake until pale golden and browned in spots, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer flatbread (discard parchment) to a rack to cool, then make 2 more rounds (1 at a time) on fresh parchment (do not oil or salt until just before baking). Break into pieces.

Flatbread can be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, then kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

Of course once I got my first batch of crackers into the oven I realized that I was in serious need of something that would go well with the crackers. I cranked out a white bean dip that went perfectly. I snapped these into rustic pieces but next time I may try using a pizza cutter.