Ingredients

The following ingredients have 144 Servings
  • 1 1/3 cups (6 ounces/170 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 3 to 5 tablespoons ice water, as needed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon milk or cream
  • spices and seasonings for topping, as desired (see above for flavor ideas)

Instruction

  • In a bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. If it is particularly warm in your kitchen, put the whole bowl in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes.Sprinkle butter cubes over flour, then work into dough using your hands or a pastry cutter until it forms pea-sized crumbs. Any larger pieces of butter that might still remain you can flatten out into butter flakes using cool hands.Sprinkle cider vinegar over top of dough. Sprinkle over 1 tablespoon of water at a time, working in with a fork, until incorporated and dough sticks together when pinched. Knead into a rough ball, sprinkling a little bit more water in the bottom of the bowl if any dry flour remains. The dough will be very shaggy at this point but it will hold together in a ball.Place ball on a piece of plastic wrap and flatten into a disk; wrap tightly in 2 layers of plastic wrap. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight (let come to room temperature before rolling).Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.On a lightly floured surface or pastry cloth, roll dough to 1/4-inch thick. Thicker dough will bake up taller with more layers than thinner dough will.Cut out shapes as desired and arrange on a parchment or silicone-lined baking sheet, leaving 1/2 inch of space between them (they will actually shrink some when they bake).In a small bowl, whisk egg with milk or cream until uniform.Brush crackers lightly with egg wash, then sprinkle with salt and pepper or the seasoning of your choice.Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (more or less depending on the size/thickness of your crackers – watch them carefully as they will burn quickly) until golden brown and flaky. Remove from oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes.Gather up dough scraps and re-roll up to 2 more times as needed (the subsequent rolls won’t be quite as flaky as the first one).Crackers will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days; re-crisp if desired by baking at 350 degrees for 3 to 5 minutes until warm.