The Baking Gods gave us Flatbread Crackers.

And they were good.

And a whole lot easier than rolling, cutting and baking individual crackers.  So much so, I have made four different flavors in two days just so I could be sure it was as easy as I’m saying it is.  That was a bad sentence but I hope you get the point.

Some of you may recall that I attempted to make crackers a couple of weeks ago.  I had talked about it ahead of time and convinced myself this would become a hit in my made-from-scratch recipe collection.  I even named them Tropical Pepper & Sea Salt Crackers after my favorite Trader Joes grinder.  They looked like crackers and were interesting while fresh from the oven.  However by the time they made it to work the next day for my taste testers to sample….let’s just say they were a bit crisp.  At that moment I put cracker making on the back burner.

That was until I saw this recipe for Seeded Flatbread Crackers from Eat Your Heart Out.  Seriously simple baking here.  My comments back to Stephie have been something to the effect of “I could just kiss you” and “I owe you a great big hug around the neck for this recipe.”  Her description of making sheets of flatbread vs. individually cut out crackers gave me the encouragement to get back in there and own the cracker world.   I’m hoping to inspire you to do the same.  It’s a big world, we can own it together.

We loved the Seeded Flatbread Cracker version from Eat Your Heart Out (1/4 cup assorted seeds like poppy, flax, sunflower, sesame, chia).

That beautiful recipe inspired me to come up with a few variations.  I’m willing to bet when you make these your favorite flavor combinations will come to the tip of your taste buds as well.

Rosemary & Cracked Black Pepper (1 Tbl. chopped fresh rosemary & 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper)

Parmesan & Garlic Herb (1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 1 Tbl. chopped fresh herbs & 1 tsp. garlic powder)

Lemony Thyme (1 Tbl. lemon zest & 1 Tbl. chopped lemony thyme)

So. What do you think? Feel free to increase quantities on the add ins for a more intense flavor.  Bake & Break Crackers are where it’s at.  Are we going to conquer the cracker world together?  I’d love for you to share your favorite Flatbread Cracker flavor combinations in them comments section below.  xo Libby

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Flatbread Crackers {in a Variety of Flavors}

Ingredients

For Flatbread…

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder
• 3/4 tsp. salt
• flavor add-ins choose from options below or your own
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• additional olive oil & sea salt for topping

Flavor variation add-ins…

• Parmesan & Garlic Herb ~ 1/4 cup parmesan cheese 1 Tbl. fresh finely chopped herbs, 1 tsp. garlic powder
• Rosemary & Freshly Cracked Black Pepper ~ 1 Tbl. fresh finely chopped rosemary 1 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• Lemony Thyme ~ 1 Tbl. fresh finely chopped lemon thyme 1 Tbl. lemon zest
• Seed Blend ~ 1/4 cup assorted seeds such as poppy, sesame, sunflower, flax, chia

Instructions

• Place pizza stone or heavy baking sheet on center rack of oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and choice of flavor add-ins. Make a well in the center and add water and oil. Stir until just combined then turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead 4-5 times.
• Cut into 3 equal pieces. Place one piece on parchment paper and roll until very thin. Brush lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt (optional). Slide onto un-rimmed baking sheet, then slide parchment/dough onto pizza stone. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. Slide parchment paper back onto un-rimmed baking sheet then transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely before breaking into pieces. Repeat with other two dough pieces.
• Store in an airtight container for 2-3 days.

Notes

Feel free to increase the quantities on the add-ins for a more intense flavor experience. The combinations listed are subtle.

Looking for a something savory or sweet to spread on your crackers?  Check out some of our favorites below.

Boursin Garlic & Herb Spread

Peach Jalapeno Skillet Jam

Deviled Crab Dip

Pimento Cheese Dip

Strawberry Jalapeno Skillet Jam

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You’re just four ingredients and 30 minutes away from Homemade Flour Tortillas.

What?  You ask why?  Why would we bother making homemade tortillas?  Well, perhaps…

1. We’re out of store bought flour tortillas.
2. I’ve been banned from a grocery store for 72 hours.
3. I didn’t want to take a shower.
4. My car tag is expired.
5. They’re really good.  And all of the above apply.

All kidding aside, we made this kick butt Fire Roasted Tomatillo Guacamole and didn’t have any tortilla chips to eat it with.  And all of the above apply.

Print

Homemade Flour Tortillas

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 8

Author Taste of Home

Ingredients

• ◾2 cups all-purpose flour
• ◾1/2 teaspoon salt
• ◾3/4 cup water
• ◾3 tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

• In a large bowl, combine flour and salt. Stir in water and oil. Knead 10-12 times, adding a little flour or water if needed to achieve a smooth dough. Let rest for 10 minutes.
• Divide dough into eight portions. On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 7-in. circle.
• In a large nonstick skillet, cook tortillas over medium heat for 1 minute on each side or until lightly browned. Keep warm. Yield: 8 tortillas.

Notes

Flour tortillas become tortilla chips by cutting each one into 1/8ths. Placing in a single layer on a baking sheet and baking at 350 degrees for 7-10 minutes, or until slightly crispy and beginning to lightly brown.

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To Make a Basic Brine ~ Use a 1/2 cup of kosher salt for every quart of water (if you’re using table salt, reduce by half).  You want only enough brine to cover the meat, so choose a plastic or glass container just large enough to hold your meat which reduces the amount of brine required.  Bring the water, salt, and any additional flavor infusion (see below) to a boil, then cool completely before pouring over meat.

Flavor Infusion ~ Independent of the brining process, this is a great time to add flavor.  You can add herbs, spices, aromatics, sugars, syrups, booze, Dijon, or whatever you like to inject flavor.  However, use caution when adding citrus or vinegars as they can ‘cook’ your seafood and turn your meat to mush if left in the brine too long.  And when adding natural sweeteners like maple syrup or fruit juices, use sparingly as the sugars will tend to blacken on the grill.

How Long to Brine ~ Time is the other important variable.  We usually do chops or chicken breasts for ½ a day, fish for an hour or two and shrimp for 20 minutes or so.  Obviously, whole turkeys and chickens require longer and want a resting period after brining before cooking (6-8 hours); this allows the moisture in the skin time to be absorbed so it will get nice and crispy during cooking.  When finished brining, rinse meat under water to remove excess salt.  Discard brine (do not reuse).

FAQ ~ Q. Does brining increase the sodium level in foods?   A. Yes, so when seasoning your meat post-brining do not add additional salt.  However, for the more precise answer click here and decide for yourself.

Our Go-to Brine ~ 1/2 cup kosher salt, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 10 – 12 peppercorns, 2 fresh thyme sprigs, and 1 quart water.

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