Ingredients for 20 crackers
1 ¾ cups organic semolina
7 fl oz/ 7/8 cup water
1 envelope dried yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
2 tablespoons oil
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
½ cup untoasted, hulled, sesame seeds
¼ cup whole flaxseeds
Dissolve the yeast in ¼ cup tepid or slightly warm room temperature water.
Pour the organic semolina onto a work surface, then create a well. Into this well, add the dissolved yeast and water, plus the remaining water, as well as the salt. Quickly begin to incorporate the organic semolina into the liquid to form a dough. Knead until it is smooth, and firm then cover loosely and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Divide the dough into about 4-6 parcels or just the right amount that you are able to work with on your surface.
Working one at a time, roll out thinly, to make long thin sheets; a pasta machine works really well for this instead of hand-rolling. The thinner the sheets, the crispier the crackers will be.
Place the sheets on a baking tray lined with parchment paper, prick them all over with a fork. Then brush the surface with oil. Using a pastry wheel cutter, cut the sheets into crackers.
Sprinkle with salt and the seeds and bake at 400°F degrees for about five minutes or until golden at their edges; they cook very quickly.
Remove and leave to cool on wire racks, then store in an airtight container.
Crackers, crisp savoury wafer-thin crunchy flatbreads are eaten all over the world now, but here is their origin: they were invented in 1792 by Theodore Pearson in Massachusetts (USA), in an effort to create a hard, long-lasting ship’s biscuit for American sailors and soldiers during long trips.
At first it was only flour, water and salt and existed purely for survival when fresh food was not available or to supplement the fresh food that was. As it happens, though, crackers were oh so tasty.
In 1801, they broke out of the survival mode of army and navy travels and became a commercial success. We have a baker, Josiah Bent, to thank for bringing these crisp tidbits from sailors to ordinary people, who began producing him in his bakery oven.
Today: everyone, everywhere, loves crackers. They last a long time, and if properly packaged, stay crunchy. Another part of their appeal is versatility: munch a handful alone unadorned as a snack, serve them with a dip, or top them with a savory morsel or two. They are good with sweet things too: try jam, mild milky cheese, or dark chocolate. A favorite topping in the USA is cream cheese or mild goats’ cheese, topped with sweet- spicy chili pepper jam.
With a batch of tasty crackers on your shelf or table, you are always ready for a snack: sociable or solo. And while store-bought crackers are always available, making your own is just so satisfying, and delicious!
