Crackers

By: Raph Rashid
From: Hungry For That
Makes: 30
Photographer: Lauren Bamford

Every day after school was always hectic at our house. My father would come home around five and start working on dinner. At this point he would go into his own zone, and hated being asked what was on the menu. ‘You get what I cook,’ he would say. ‘That’s all well and good,’ I would think, ‘but what the hell do we eat now?'

I would generally rummage through the cupboards and pull out the crackers. With a bit of Vegemite and cheese, I was content for another hour. I have always taken crackers for granted. Kinda like breakfast cereal, I always just have them in the cupboard. This is probably the reason why I never thought to make them or spend any time on really nice toppings.

Now that my own kids are coming home ravenous every single day from school I am really thinking about what they eat before dinner. Too much and dinner will be a waste of time; too little and they lose it. So I either give them crackers or serve dinner at five!

I also love serving crackers as appetisers for dinner parties. If you don’t have the time to make the crackers from scratch, plain lavash or other unleavened bread will do.

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
1/2 teaspoon	dried yeast
300g	plain flour, sifted
60ml	olive oil
1 teaspoon	salt
	sea salt, to taste

Method

Dissolve the yeast in 2 tablespoons warm water. Using an electric mixer or a food processor with a dough hook, mix the yeast mixture with the flour until combined. Add 60 ml of the oil and mix until incorporated. Dissolve the salt in 100 ml water and add it to the dough. Mix on a low setting for 6–7 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and even. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place for about 1½ hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Divide the dough into 4–5 equal-sized portions. Roll one portion of dough through a pasta machine set to its widest setting, then repeat. Set the pasta machine to a narrower setting, and roll the dough through again. The dough should be about 1–2 mm thick. Lay the dough sheet on a lightly floured work surface. Repeat the process with the remaining dough portions.
If you don’t have a pasta machine, use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is 1–2 mm thick. Cut the dough into 5 cm squares. I like to use a fluted pastry wheel to give the crackers a nice edge. Transfer to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Combine the remaining oil with 1 tablespoon water and lightly brush the squares with the mixture. Lightly season with sea salt and bake for 10–15 minutes, or until the crackers are lightly browned and crunchy.