Olive Oil Crackers

Crackers are one of my favorite snack foods because they are so versatile. There is at least one kind of cracker out there that will go with every dip, sauce or salsa that you could imagine, and they’re a great snack on their own. Crackers get a little more interesting when you make them yourself and Olive Oil Crackers are a great recipe to start with. This is a very simple recipe that you can put all kinds of flavor twists on with a few spices and herbs, and you can have homemade crackers in less time than it takes to go to the store.

The dough for these crackers is made with flour, olive oil, water and salt. These ingredients are kneaded together into a smooth, elastic dough that is rolled out and sliced into individual crackers. The thinner you roll your crackers, the crunchier they will be. I’ve rolled out the dough with a pasta maker to get super-thin crackers before, but I actually prefer the slightly thicker and more rustic look of hand-cut crackers (so people know that they’re homemade!) because they’re heartier and pack a bit more flavor. The crackers have a hint of olive oil flavor to them and a hint of salt.

I always top my crackers with sea salt, but you can knead herbs and spices like rosemary, dill, oregano, garlic, black pepper or cumin right into the dough before rolling it out. You can place your dough directly on top of the baking sheet and cut it in place into small crackers, or cut the dough on a cutting board and carefully transfer them to the baking sheet. Scoring the crackers with a fork before baking will prevent them from puffing up too much as they bake, otherwise you’ll end up with crackers that are a little pillowy (but still crisp and delicious).

The only real disadvantage of making crackers at home is that one recipe will make a much smaller batch of crackers than you can get out of a box. Fortunately, they keep well, so if you need to serve a crowd with your crackers, you can make a couple of batches and store them in an airtight container.

Olive Oil Crackers
2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
coarse salt for topping

Preheat oven to 425F.
In a large bowl, stir together 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour, water, olive oil and salt until the dough comes together into a rough dough. Place remaining flour on a large, flat surface. Turn dough out onto the floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Set dough aside, under a piece of plastic wrap, to rest for 20 minutes.
Divide dough into four pieces. Working with one at a time, on a lightly floured surface, roll dough out until it is as thin as you can get it. Cut into rough crackers (any size) with a knife or pizza cutter. Transfer crackers to baking sheet and score with a fork. Sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until crackers are golden brown.
Cool before serving.

Serves 8-10.