So while we were stuck inside all weekend due to the frigid temperatures, felt like -9 each day, Alexander and I decided to make crackers to go with our Vegetable Chicken Barley Soup.

Alexander’s favorite kitchen tool by far is the pasta maker. He knows how to use it all by himself. We wanted to make a cracker recipe that we could use in the pasta machine. I added semolina flour to my recipe. Semolina flour is the type that is used in pasta. It is high in gluten which allows the dough to be stretched through the rollers on a pasta machine. Not to worry though, if you don’t have a pasta machine make the crackers with 3 cups of all purpose flour and on a lightly floured surface roll to a 1/8″ or thinner thickness if you can.

Enjoy!

Avec Amour, Victoria & Alexander

 

Olive Oil Herb Crackers

1 Cup Semolina Flour

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Cup Water

Toppings:

Kosher Salt

Italian Seasonings

Dried Basil

Dried Oregano

Fresh Rosemary finely minced

1. Using a stand mixer in mixing bowl stir together flours and salt,

add 1/4 cup Olive Oil with water, use paddle attachment on low speed and drizzle oil and water into flours,

mix until dough comes together (this can be mixed and kneeded by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer) and there is no flour left on bottom of bowl.

Divide dough into 6 portions,

kneed dough into a ball, put 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil on to a plate,

roll ball in oil, repeat until you have 6 balls, cover with plastic wrap and let dough rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour.

2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Flatten a ball of dough into a rectangle,

using a pasta machine roll dough on highest setting, mine is number 7, I put it thru again on number 5,

brush long strip of dough with a little of the remaining Olive Oil,

sprinkle with kosher salt and/or dried Italian herbs or a combination of dried oregano and dried basil, or finely minced fresh rosemary (1 Tablespoon per ball of dough),

then roll dough thru pasta machine on setting number 4, (this step presses the herbs into the dough, if you skip this step the herbs tend to fall off the finished crackers) cut out crackers, we like all different sizes so Alexander cut all of his with a small knife, a faster way is to use a pizza cutter and roll thru the dough from top to bottom on an angle to make triangles. Place on a silpat or parchment paper covered baking pan

and bake 13-15 minutes until completely golden brown.

While baking first batch continue putting the next ball of dough thru the pasta machine, continue until all dough is used or you can refrigerate some of the dough for a day or two, or freeze up to a month before using in pasta machine.

If you don’t have a pasta machine, use rolling pin on a lightly floured surface to roll dough 1/8″ thick or thinner if you can, brush with oil, sprinkle with herbs, use rolling pin to roll over dough again to press herbs into dough, cut and bake.