Ingredients

The following ingredients have 48 Servings
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup rye, spelt, or whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon salt (kosher or sea)
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped sage leaves
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme leaves
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/4" dice ((4 ounces, 8 tablespoons))
  • 3 ounces Mimolette, or other hard cheese (see headnote), shredded on the medium side of a box grater (1 cup)
  • 1/2 cup ice water

Instruction

  • In a large bowl, combine the flours, salt and herbs. Add the butter, and rub with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse meal, with some barley-sized butter bits remaining. (Alternately, you can do this in a food processor or stand mixer, but add in the water by hand to avoid over-processing.) Toss in the shredded cheese, then sprinkle in the water bit by bit, tossing with your fingers or a wooden spoon, until the dough begins to clump together and no loose, floury bits remain. (You may not need all the water.) Gather the dough into an oblong, flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill for 15 minutes. (You can probably chill it for up to a couple of days, if you like, or freeze for up to a couple of months. If you do either, let the dough stand at room temp until soft enough to roll out.)
  • Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven, and preheat to 400º. Line two sheet pans with parchment paper.
  • Lightly dust a work surface with rye flour, and roll out the dough into a rectangle with a long side facing you, about 5 x 24" and 1/4" thick. Using a pizza wheel or chef's knife, cut into 1/2" wide strips. Roll the strips under your fingers into straws, lengthening them to about 10" long, and place on the pan an inch or so apart.
  • Bake the straws until golden brown, 18 - 22 minutes, rotating front to back and top to bottom halfway through. Let cool completely on the pans (they will crisp up as they cool), then store in an airtight container.
  • These are awesome on the day they are baked, and will keep, in an airtight container at room temperature, for a day or two. You can re-crisp them in a 300º oven if they soften.