Making homemade crunchy saltine crackers is easier than you might think. This version with cumin and spelt flour is a healthy, rustic, and flavorful snack.
I had a jar of spelt flour close to its expiration date, so I was looking for recipes to use it as much as possible since I hate wasting food.
I already made spelt pasta, I made a quiche and even a spelt variation of Taralli. What to do now? I looked over to my almost empty box of crackers and thought "how hard could it be to make homemade crackers?". 30 minutes later the answer was "it's really not that hard".
The recipe is really versatile so you can use different flours and different spices or flavorings. Let me know if you try different variations!
How to make saltines from scratch
Saltines are nothing else than really thin dough. When baked, they become really flaky and crunchy which what you want from a cracker.
All you need to do is mix the ingredients together, make a ball of dough, let it rest, then stretch it really thin and bake it.
Some saltine recipes require some kind of yeast, but I found out that this is not necessary (which comes really useful during this period of yeast shortages). What I used instead, is sparkling water. The bubbles from the water will also create small air pockets in the dough which will make the crackers really flaky and crunchy.
You can also use flat water, but the results may be a little bit different and more dense.
Do you need a pasta machine?
It is not necessary to use a pasta roller to make these saltine crackers, but I find it to be quite a time saver. The result may be quite similar even if you stretch the dough with a rolling pin, but chances are the end result won't be thin enough or of even thickness. With a pasta machine, you can achieve an even and thin sheet of dough in literally minutes and with no effort.
Online you can find many different pasta rollers with a lower price (but sometimes also lower quality), depending on what you need. I have a classic Italian Imperia machine which I always use to make my homemade pasta and it's one of my favorite tools.
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The Recipe
These crackers would pair great with these other Aperitivo recipes:
- Classic Aperol Spritz
- Homemade Taralli snack
- Italian Artichoke Dip
- Easy mini Parmesan Flatbreads
- Mushroom Pate Crostini
- Marinated Roasted Bell Peppers
- Sriracha Chickpea Salad dip
Cumin Spelt Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup Spelt Flour
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Cumin powder
- ⅓ cup (+2 tbsp) Sparkling Water
- Black Sesame Seeds, optional
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients together and knead lightly until you get a nice ball of dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Roll the dough as thin as you like. Dust it with flour if it’s too sticky. Cut the sheet into crackers shapes with a knife or pasta cutter.
- Brush them lightly with water and sprinkle with salt and black sesame seeds.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Thank you so much!
Thankyou for your recipes.
Thank you! I hope you enjoy them! 🙂