Homemade crackers are absolutely amazing--so much more than just a transportation measure for cheese. This easy cracker recipe, made with olive oil, rosemary, and sea salt, makes just that kind of amazingly delicious and crisp snack.
These homemade crackers are easy and fast to make, and are so tasty you'd be happy to eat them on their own, even without any accompanying cheese. They're the perfect party appetizer, but so simple to make, that they're also great for a quick afternoon snack.
You probably have all the simple ingredients you need to make amazing homemade crackers in your pantry right now, in fact.
Homemade Rosemary Sea Salt Cracker Recipe:
- 2 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup warm water
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- rosemary and sea salt for garnish
How to Make Homemade Crackers:
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, water, and olive oil together in a large bowl to create the dough for the crackers.
Why Use Warm Water in this Cracker Recipe?
It really is important to use hot--or at least warm--water in this recipe. Heat accelerates the formation of gluten strands, and having lots of stretchy gluten is important in a homemade cracker recipe.
Divide the dough in half and roll out each half directly on an ungreased baking sheet.
I bought this tiny red silicone non stick rolling pin for my daughters to use when they help me cook (it matches my large one), but it's absolutely the perfect tool for rolling out this cracker dough.
The dough should be rolled out very thinly, and should pretty much cover the cookie sheet.
Add the toppings of your choice--I usually use sea salt and some fresh rosemary from the garden. Rosemary is one of the things I can manage to keep alive (mostly) in the Phoenix heat, so I always have it around, but all sorts of fresh herbs and other toppings would be fabulous, too. I like to spray the top of the dough lightly with a little bit of olive oil before sprinkling the toppings on to help the toppings stick. And if you want to add even more amazing flavor, you can use an infused olive oil. You can buy infused olive oil at gourmet grocery stores (I love the infused olive oils from my local olive orchard, the Queen Creek Olive Mill), or follow this great tutorial for how to infuse olive oil to make it yourself. You could also use an egg wash if you prefer. That would give the crackers a shinier finish, too.
Homemade Cracker Baking Tips:
- keep your cookie sheet from sliding all over the place while you roll out the dough by placing a silpat or a slightly damp kitchen towel under your pan. This is the same technique I use for making sugar cookies and gingerbread houses.
- The dough is elastic, so it will resist stretching thin. Just keep rolling, I promise it will work.
- a rotary pizza cutter is the best way to cut the crackers into slices, but only if you use a cookie sheet, not a pan with sides like a sheet pan.
The silpat keeps the cookie sheet from sliding on the counter while you roll the dough out.
Cut the dough into squares with a sharp knife or a rotary pizza cutter (my favorite). I always end up with "rustic" edges with this crackers recipe. Don't worry about it--that's part of the appeal of homemade crackers!
Bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-14 minutes, until the crackers turn golden brown and crispy. If you have a convection oven, you can bake at 400 convection for about 12-14 minutes. Just watch for that golden color.
Homemade salty cracker heaven. This easy recipe really does make the ultimate party snack!
How do you Store Homemade Crackers?
- Store in a ziplock bag or a tupperware style container for best results. Any kind of airtight container is good.
- crackers will last several weeks.
Homemade Cracker Flavors
The basic baked cracker recipe is a great recipe and incredibly versatile. Instead of the rosemary and sea salt version I've written about in this blog post, try one of these delicious variations for seasoning:
- Salt and black pepper
-
Sriracha
-
Parmesan cheese
-
Butter and garlic powder
-
onion powder
-
sesame seeds
-
poppy seeds
-
ranch seasoning
-
red paper flakes or cayenne pepper (if you like some spice to your savory snacks!)
-
Italian seasoning
-
brown sugar (especially amazing when you pair with a baked camembert or a tangy goat cheese)
-
taco seasoning
-
lemon pepper
-
dill weed
A little bit of goat cheese and a drizzle of honey, and you have the most amazingly delicious easy appetizer ever. EVER.
What flavors would you use to make homemade crackers for your next party this holiday season?
Printable, One Page, Homemade Cracker Recipe
Want a one page, printable version of the full recipe for rosemary sea salt crackers? Click on the image below to print directly or download to your device.