Flaky, Buttery Crackers
This recipe makes a home-baked cracker similar to the famous, wonderfully buttery tasting Ritz brand crackers. Recipe tester Pamela Schmidt, who worked long and hard on this one, determined that a little garlic powder in the dough made these taste even more like Ritz crackers. I don’t know if Ritz actually puts garlic powder in their version, but it does add a nice flavor, so I’m going with Pamela on this one.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 pans of crackers
Ingredients
Preparation
Do ahead
Step 1
Combine all of the ingredients, except the optional butter for garnishing and the egg wash, in a mixing bowl. If using a mixer, mix with the paddle attachment on low speed for 1 minute. If mixing by hand, use a large, sturdy spoon and mix for 1 minute. The dough should form a firm ball and shouldn’t be sticky. Stir in flour or water as needed to adjust the texture.
Step 2
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 30 seconds to be sure all of the ingredients are evenly distributed and that the dough holds together. It should be slightly tacky but not sticky.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C), or 350°F (175°C) for a convection oven, and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat. You don’t need to oil the paper or liner.
Step 4
Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough on the floured work surface, frequently lifting the dough with a metal pastry scraper or bowl scraper to be sure it isn’t sticking and dusting with more flour underneath if need be. You can also flip the dough over and continue rolling with the bottom side up. The goal is to roll it to about 1/8 inch in thickness. Use a fork or dough docker (a roller device with studs) and poke holes all over the surface of the dough. Brush the surface of the dough with an even coating of the egg wash and sprinkle with fine salt.
Finishing the dough and baking
Step 5
Use a small biscuit cutter (a crimped cutter is preferred but not required) dipped in flour to make round crackers. Place the crackers about 1/2 inch apart on one of the prepared pans. Gather any scrap dough and repeat the rolling out, egg wash, and garnishing process until all the dough is formed into crackers. (You can also cut the dough with a pizza cutter into rectangles or diamonds, if you prefer.)
Step 6
If making more than one pan of crackers, you can bake them all at once. Place the pans on different shelves and bake for 8 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for another 8 to 12 minutes, or until the crackers are firm and lightly golden. Remove the pans from the oven and brush the hot crackers with the melted butter, if garnishing. Immediately, turn off the oven, then return the pans to the hot oven for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pans from the oven and let the crackers cool on the pan. The crackers are done when they have a rich golden brown color and are fairly dry and crisp. If they don’t snap cleanly after they cool, return the pan to a hot oven for a few more minutes until they dry sufficiently to snap when broken.
