Crackers for Cheese
Thin, blistered seeded crackers rolled through the pasta machine - all fennel, sesame and Maldon, and they keep for months in the pantry.
Makes: About 20 crackers (15cm x 7cm)
Prep time: 20 minutes, plus 20 minutes resting
Cook time: 5 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
For the herb salt
1/3 cup Maldon salt
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
2 tablespoons black sesame seeds
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
METHOD
Combine the cracker ingredients in a KitchenAid bowl with the dough hook until a smooth dough has formed, about 10 minutes. (You can also form this dough by hand in a bowl and use a rolling pin to flatten it if you don't have a KitchenAid.)
Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200C.
Combine all the herb salt ingredients in a jar and shake to mix.
Using the pasta roller attachment, flatten tablespoon-sized chunks of dough to form odd-shaped ovals, starting at setting 1 and working your way to 6.
Lay each cracker on baking paper and scatter with 1/2 teaspoon of the herb salt.
Place a sheet of baking paper over the crackers and use your hands to press the seeds in slightly.
Remove the top layer of paper and bake for 5 minutes, or until golden.
Allow to cool before serving. Store in an airtight container in the pantry for up to 3 months.
HINTS
No KitchenAid? Mix the dough by hand and roll it thin with a rolling pin - the pasta machine just makes the even, blistered thinness easier.
Press the seeds in through the paper so they anchor into the dough rather than scattering off the moment the cracker is lifted.
Roll them properly thin (setting 6) - thin is what gives you the shatter and the blister; too thick and they go hard rather than crisp.
NUTRITION (per recipe total - about 20 crackers, guide only):
Energy: approximately 9200kJ (2200 calories)
Protein: 40g
Fat: 120g
Saturated fat: 18g
Carbohydrates: 250g
Sugars: 2g
Fibre: 12g
Sodium: 12000mg
Note: assumes most of the herb salt stays on the crackers; actual sodium per cracker is far lower as much is shaken off.
This nutrition information is a guide only and may vary depending on brands, exact quantities, and ingredient substitutions used.