~ "By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established; Through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures." ~ "Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing" ~ "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." ~ "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths."~

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Homemade Wheat Thin Crackers...King Arthur Flour

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Homemade Wheat Thin Crackers...King Arthur Flour
I am so glad I stumbled upon this recipe recently. Homemade Wheat Thins... I simply knew I had to make them. I just love homemade crackers, and hardly ever buy crackers anymore. I've made quite a few different crackers in the past... and some some have become real favorites. But I hadn't yet made this version of crackers that uses 100% whole grains...homemade Wheat Thins.
Crackers, in general, don't require a ton of ingredients, and I quickly noticed I had everything in the house to make them. I had some spelt flour as well, so I decided to make a double batch using some whole grain spelt flour for one and 100% whole wheat for the other batch. The spelt flour version was easier to roll out as the dough was slightly softer, and resulting crackers were probably a bit more tender as well. But both versions were fantastic! Crispy, yet tender and sightly sweet with a hint of vanilla. I think they even tasted like the Wheat Thins...only better:).
King Arthur Flour has really come up with a winner of a recipe! Definitely a favorite in our house...
I noticed that the crackers were incredibly delicious rolled very thin...close to 1/16th of an inch. But they are just as delicious when rolled just a bit thicker(1/8th or so)....just need to bake them a bit longer. You definitely don't want them too thick.... as they really are at their best when rolled thin. I guess that's why they are called, Wheat Thins:).
The crackers do crisp up as they cool, but in case you feel they aren't crispy enough, you can opt to place them back in the hot oven after you've baked all the batches. Just turn the heat off and let them crisp up a bit more with the residual heat....do look after them.
I really liked these crackers and kept talking about them for days:). If you have some time, and want to try the crackers, I highly recommend them. I think the yield is close to 8 oz (or so)....for one batch...Glad I made a couple of batches:), but I did end up making a couple more batches later on during the week:)...even a soaked wheat variation using whey for the liquid. Hope you enjoy...
Note: The crackers stay crisp for days in an airtight container...
Also, I have tried substituting oil for the butter...definitely NOT the same taste.

You will need: initially inspired by Tracey's Culinary Adventures and adapted from King Arthur Whole Grain Baking

1 ¼ cup( 5 oz) whole wheat flour*
1 ½ TBS sugar(or honey)
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. paprika
4 TBS butter, cut up
¼ cup water
¼ tsp. vanilla
salt for topping( optional, I skipped)
* you can also use whole grain spelt flour... I absolutely LOVED the spelt flour variation, and probably preferred it.
If you do not have a scale, you might want to use about 1 cup+ 2TBS whole wheat flour and then add the other 2 TBS at the end... only if the dough needs it. You don't want the dough to be stiff...it'll be harder to roll them thinly. I noticed my whole wheat version was harder to roll than the spelt flour variation....probably because I didn't weigh it:). The spelt dough was softer in texture (not by too much)... the rolling was a breeze.

Directions:
PREHEAT OVEN TO 400 deg F.
1. In a processor bowl(or mixing bowl if doing by hand), combine the whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, paprika and butter.
2. Pulse for a few times until you get fine crumbs...no bigger than a pea(if doing by hand, use a pastry blender to cut in the butter).
3. Combine water and vanilla and pour over dry mixture( if using honey, and not sugar, you can add it with the water).
4. Process again for a few seconds until everything is evenly combined... or mix well by hand. You should be able to form a smooth dough....sort of like a play dough consistency. Try not to mix it too much...the crackers won't be as tender
5. Form into a ball and cut into 4 pieces...cutting them in 4 pieces will help you work with a small amount of dough so that you can roll the dough as thinly as possible. Cover the rest of the dough as you work...so as not to dry out.
6. Take one piece of dough and place between parchment paper. Roll dough as thinly as possible close to 1/16-1/8th inch. Lift the top parchment paper and reposition it to evenly roll out the dough... You can also remove the top parchment paper after you've rolled the dough out a bit and then just continue to roll the dough out on the bottom parchment....till you get it thin enough. You can slightly wet your countertop before placing the parchment paper on it so it won't slide too much on you as you roll....but I deal with the sliding:).
OR
Roll the dough out, however it seems easier for you: suggestions below or use your own
  • on a lightly floured counter top
  • lightly greased back of a cookie sheet
  • directly on a pizza stone
  • on a silpat
7. Cut crackers using a sharp knife...about 1 1/2 inches square. If you want "perfect" squares, trim edges and re-roll scraps once.
8. You can place crackers on a parchment paper... or if you've rolled it out on a parchment paper, just slide it onto a cookie sheet parchment and all. The crackers don't spread much. Sprinkle the squares lightly with kosher salt...I didn't. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
9. Bake crackers until crisp and browned 5-7 minutes( depending on thickness)... remove the thinner crackers that brown too quickly and bake the remaining crackers. Do watch them closely, as they can burn quickly.
You want the crackers to be almost crispy, golden brown when removing them.... they will crisp up a bit more as they cool on the cookie sheets.
10. Remove the crackers from oven and cool in the pan...this will crisp them up even more. These crackers will stay crisp for days...loved that about them.
Best stored in airtight containers.

LOVE, LOVED, LOVED these crackers...

25 comments:

M Family said...

Dangit Ellie, now I am going to have to make these and the goldfish crackers, I have been slacking on the goldfish ones awhile now...

Sailaja Damodaran said...

perfect with hot tea.........

Andreea said...

Superbi! Musai sa-i incerc. :)
Have a great day Ellie.

megi said...

These look fantastic, you have done an amazing job with all the step by step photos Ellie. Only after starting a blog, I have realized how much work goes into photographing the steps, especially when you are baking and you have your hands in flour and butter!

I love using spelt flour and find it easy to work with. I'll give these a try during my daughters second nap tomorrow, it'll be a nice quiet time for me to do some baking. :) Will let you know how they turn out.

Ellie said...

M Family, Sorry to make you want to try these:)...but they were great!

Sailaja, Yes, a nice snack for sure. Lovely with tea and a slice of cheese:)

Andreea, Oh, I hope you can give them a try:)...would love to hear how you like them.

Megi, Thank you...and yes, step-by-step photos do take time. I am constantly wiping my hands and the camera:). I've settled to having a point and shoot type of camera that's just for my blog photos. Nothing fancy...I probably wouldn't want to use an expensive camera... especially for step-by-step photos. One day, it may give up on me:)...
But I do hope you will enjoy the crackers...I really liked them and am glad I can use spelt flour. They taste especially good:). Thanks for stopping by.

retete- ina said...

super,cred ca sant crocanti

Amy said...

Can you use any other flours? I think I am going to try to use chickpea flour as I've heard it will make crackers taste like cheezits.

Ellie said...

Reteta-ina Thank you... sper sa -it placa daca incerci:).

Amy, Chickpea flour sounds great! I don't know about other flours, except the usual white whole wheat.

But if you try it with chickpea flour, I would love to know what you think of them. And then they would be gluten-free...great idea!

Thanks for sharing!

Amy said...

They came out really good. My twins age 2 really liked them, but my 3 year was not a fan (he's pickier than the other 2). I also used 14 drops of liquid vanilla stevia instead of the sugar and vanilla and earth balance "butter" making them sugar free and dairy free. I will be trying other gluten free flours since we are dairy free and attempting to go gluten free.

Ellie said...

Amy, Thank you for your feedback on the crackers...and for sharing the substitutions you made.
I am so glad you were able to come up with something that works for your family even happier that the twins liked them:)

They are definitely a great alternative to store-bought. It would be great to try it with a gluten-free flour as well.

Again, thanks for stopping by and for sharing. I really appreciate it.

megi said...

Ellie, the crackers are great, they were easy to make and great to eat. I used honey and whole spelt flour, I completely forgot about the vanilla and by the time I remembered it, it was too late to add it to the dough. They are delicious and next time I'll definitely make a double batch. Thank you for sharing this neat recipe.

Ellie said...

Megi, I am so glad you liked them! Thank you for the feedback and for stopping by.

Anonymous said...

I love King Arthur Flour recipes... these look so good..and i love wheat thins!

Ellie said...

Red, Yes, I too love KAF recipes.I think these crackers were truly delicious!
If you ever try them, do let me know how you like them.
Thanks for stopping by...

Unknown said...

Has anyone tried using a pasta machine to roll out these crackres?

Ellie said...

Unknown, I am thinking you can use a pasta machine to roll it out... plenty of people use the pasta machine to make thin, crispy crackers. Haven't tried it myself, though.

Unknown said...

Thanks--it would seem to make sense--I'll try it over the weekend and report back.

Sarah said...

Love this recipe! Thanks so much for sharing it! It's our new favourite snack. I linked it on my blog: http://sarah-ourislandhome.blogspot.com/2011/11/some-things-quelques-occupations.html

Ellie said...

Sarah, I am ao glad you are enjoying the cracker recipe. I was thrilled when I ran across it... and had to share it:)!
Thanks for stopping by and sharing your feedback! Appreciate it!

Kacie.Whigham said...

Well, tomorrow is officially cracker making day at our house! You have inspired some cheese crackers and wheat thins! Thanks!!! I can't wait to try them :) Also, the hubby's request for dinner is always cheese and crackers...I'll be much more excited for that meal if I can make the crackers myself!

Ellie said...

Kacie, Oh, I am so glad you are trying out the crackers... These are a favorite! I just love homemade crackers:). And even though there's a bit of work involved, I think they are worth it. Cheese and homemade crackers are always a treat for us:).
I'm hoping you will enjoy the crackers... just try to roll out the dough as thinly as possible for best results... and keep an eye on them when baking... as crackers in general can burn quickly.
Have fun baking:)....

Rebecca Berman said...

Just wondering if we can use regular whole wheat flour - I've never heard of spelt flour or king arthur - I don't think we have it here in Seattle area, we've stopped eating wheat thins in our home cos of all the bad stuff in it so nice to see all the good stuff in this recipe so I can eat them again

Ellie said...

Rebecca, Yes, you can certainly use regular whole wheat flour. King Arthur is just a brand name, but any whole wheat flour can be used.

Spelt flour is an ancient non wheat grain... and is often substituted for whole wheat. Spelt flour however does have gluten... so you can't really use it in gluten-free recipes.

But you can find spelt flour in health food stores and many grocery stores nowadays.

Hope this helps and that you enjoy the recipe as much as we do:).

Thanks for stopping...

Anonymous said...

I am so looking forward to making these with spelt flour! Do you think the rolled dough is strong and flexible enough to work with cookie cutters?

Ellie said...

Anon, Yes, the dough should be pliable enough to be able to use a cookie cutter... if need be, roll them a tad bit thicker and bake a bit longer. Just don't roll them out too thick..,
Hope you enjoy making them.., and that you'll enjoy the result as well:)...

Thanks for stopping by.