We enjoy good cheese in our house; the kind of cheeses curated by Anne Saxelby at Saxelby Cheesemongers in NYC. We've been big fans of Anne since the days when she opened a tiny stall in the Essex Street Market on the Lower East Side. Today, that shop is closed (sad), replaced by a "fancy" new large space in the Chelsea Market. New location, but still many (more?) high-quality selections!
When you're buying these kinds of small batch cheeses you really want the cheese to shine. In my judgment that means the cracker you put on the cheese plate should be one that does not compete for attention, but rather plays a supporting/complementary role! It's hard to find that kind of cracker in the store, but that's not a real problem because it's EASY to make them yourself!
In the following recipe, i'm going to focus on the ratio of ingredients, not provide exact quantities, because you'll want to adjust as you go. And I don't know how many crackers you want.
Crackers (Flat Bread)
It always seems to me that it's hard to find crackers in the store that complement a good cheese. More often than not, they seem to me to compete with the cheese. So the solution is simple make yourself some crackers!
INGREDIENTS
Flour - All Purpose and "00" - I use them in a ratio of 2 parts AP - 1 part "00" - for example 2/3 cup of AP and 1/3 cup of "00"
Water and Olive Oil - you can use 100% water or 100% oil. I use a mix about the same ratio as the flour - 2 parts water to 1 part olive oil. The liquid should be about 50% of the flour mix. In my experience, you should be able to get the right consistency for your dough if you use 1/2 cup of liquid for 1 cup of flour.
Salt - 1 teaspoon per cup of flour
Optional Flavorings: In the recipe pictured here, I used nigella seeds, but you can use any of the following: sesame seeds, rosemary, cracked peppercorns, mustard seeds - or nothing at all. Again, how much of these you use is up to you. I use about 1 teaspoon per cup of flour.
PREPARATION
Combine flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple times to mix
With the food processor running slowly add your liquid through the feed tube
Sprinkle in your flavorings if you're using them.
Keep the motor running and allow the liquid to distribute through the dry ingredients. You'll know you've got it when the dough comes together into a ball.
If it's not coming together just add a bit more water or oil a teaspoon at a time.
Collect the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat over to 450F.
Rolling out the dough. To achieve a uniform consistency and thickness, I like to use my pasta machine (manual of course). The crackers you see pictured here were rolled to setting #5 on my machine. I pass the dough through setting #1, then #3 and finally #5. Again, if you desire a slightly thicker cracker roll it out to #4 or a thinner one - roll it to #6. You can also use a rolling pin to roll it out, but it's a little more difficult to arrive at a consistent thickness.
Bake on a dry sheet for 5 - 8 minutes. All ovens vary - so monitor your first batch and adjust timing accordingly
YIELD
When using 1 cup of flour, I cut my dough ball into 8 pieces, lightly dust with flour and then roll it. 1 cup of flour yields 8 of these large crackers (flatbreads).
Flour - All Purpose and "00" - I use them in a ratio of 2 parts AP - 1 part "00" - for example 2/3 cup of AP and 1/3 cup of "00"
Water and Olive Oil - you can use 100% water or 100% oil. I use a mix about the same ratio as the flour - 2 parts water to 1 part olive oil. The liquid should be about 50% of the flour mix. In my experience, you should be able to get the right consistency for your dough if you use 1/2 cup of liquid for 1 cup of flour.
Salt - 1 teaspoon per cup of flour
Optional Flavorings: In the recipe pictured here, I used nigella seeds, but you can use any of the following: sesame seeds, rosemary, cracked peppercorns, mustard seeds - or nothing at all. Again, how much of these you use is up to you. I use about 1 teaspoon per cup of flour.
PREPARATION
Combine flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a couple times to mix
With the food processor running slowly add your liquid through the feed tube
Sprinkle in your flavorings if you're using them.
Keep the motor running and allow the liquid to distribute through the dry ingredients. You'll know you've got it when the dough comes together into a ball.
If it's not coming together just add a bit more water or oil a teaspoon at a time.
Collect the dough and wrap in plastic wrap. Let rest for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat over to 450F.
Rolling out the dough. To achieve a uniform consistency and thickness, I like to use my pasta machine (manual of course). The crackers you see pictured here were rolled to setting #5 on my machine. I pass the dough through setting #1, then #3 and finally #5. Again, if you desire a slightly thicker cracker roll it out to #4 or a thinner one - roll it to #6. You can also use a rolling pin to roll it out, but it's a little more difficult to arrive at a consistent thickness.
Bake on a dry sheet for 5 - 8 minutes. All ovens vary - so monitor your first batch and adjust timing accordingly
YIELD
When using 1 cup of flour, I cut my dough ball into 8 pieces, lightly dust with flour and then roll it. 1 cup of flour yields 8 of these large crackers (flatbreads).
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