Whole Wheat Garlic Crackers

Is there anything better than biting into a crisp garlicky cracker with a giant air bubble when it's still hot from the oven? Okay, so there probably is but I still think it ranks up there in life's pleasures.

When I mentioned on Facebook that I was making these, my friend Elizabeth responded with, "You can make your own crackers?!" I had felt the same way. Crackers are one of those foods you just don't think much about until you want to eat them. I'm glad it finally occurred to me to try them at home. They're incredibly easy and SO much cheaper than buying them in the store. It's kind of crazy.

These crackers are more like pita chips than crackers, but I am certainly not complaining. Pita chips are delicious. They're super fast to make and you probably have all the ingredients you need on hand already. From the time you think, "hey, I should try those chips Ashley posted about," to the time you take your first bite is less than 30 minutes. 

Because I am in love with my food processor, that is my weapon of choice for this recipe. As with my Rosemary Parmesan Olive Oil Bread, it's preferable to use a food processor, but a stand mixer with a paddle attachment works too. I've not tried mixing it by hand, but I can imagine that you could still achieve a decent, although much more rustic and exhausting, result. You're also going to need a rolling pin. Or if you're like me when I lost my pin during one of my many moves, a long cylindrical bottle works well too. 

Ready? Let's dig in...

Whole Wheat Garlic Crackers

Yield: about 4 servings, depending on thickness

Total Time: less than 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup water + 2 tablespoons, separated
• coarse salt for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 400º and lightly flour a baking sheet.

Add flours, salt and garlic powder to food processor and pulse to combine. 

Turn processor on and stream in oil. Slowly stream 1/4 cup water. Add additional water one tablespoon at a time until the dough forms a ball. Stop processor and dump out dough onto a lightly floured work surface.

Gently roll out the dough, adding extra flour if needed. Roll into a large, thin rectangle. (Or an amoeba shape, those work too.) Using a sharp knife, score the dough in lines to create your cracker shapes. Gently peel off the workspace with your fingers or use a knife or bench scraper to transfer dough to cookie sheet. For crispier edges, leave a small space between each cracker. 

Lightly sprinkle with coarse salt and bake for 10-15 minutes, until edges begin to turn golden.

Eat right away and/or save in an airtight container for a few days.

I'm on my way to lunch with my grandpa who fought in WWII in Anzio and liberated Dachau. He's one of only a few men who were part of both campaigns still alive and remembering his comrades is more important every year.  

I hope you have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! May you be surrounded by people you love and give thanks for the sacrifices of others.