In the low tox club this month, we’ve been focused on reducing the contents of our recycling bin, given they take up a lot of resources being trucked around to recyclers and then processed – and so much of it not even being recycled but ending up in landfill. The added bonus is less exposure to soft plastics when you figure out some fast go-to from-scratch options.
So last weekend, I decided I wanted an all-rounder cracker that wasn’t rich and dense like my free-from-lots crackers. Something with less ‘taste’ that was a better vehicle for toppings. Don’t get me wrong, I love that cracker I came up with a few years back, I just wanted something crunchy and quite bland that was a perfect blank canvas. And so I came up with this one.
I’ve made it 3 times since, testing what it’s like to freeze, defrost and make it again, what it’s like with seeds pressed into it to look pretty and what it’s like with a hint of sweetness or herbs added to it – those variations which you will find below.
I hope they fast become a staple in your pantry as they have in ours and I’m SO thrilled that one of my convenience weak spots is now broken up with for good. Less packaging. Less than half the price per batch than the packet. Less endocrine disruptor exposure without the soft plastic packaging, buying the ingredients at the bulk food store. Winning all round, right?
No additives. No weirdness. Just a solid new staple for you and your family. Enjoy! Don’t they look worth making? So easy. Next time you make them you can make 2-3 batches and freeze all the balls to pull out when you need crackers, instead of running to the store and paying double!
Quick and easy buckwheat crackers
Equipment
- 2 Baking trays, scales, bowl, rolling pin and an oven
Ingredients
- 320 g buckwheat flour I start with buckwheat kernels/buckinis and grind the 320 g in the thermomix on speed 10, 20 seconds for my flour.
- 170 g filtered water
- 50 g extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- additional flour for dusting the workbench about 15g extra so if you're grinding flour fresh, account for this and grind 340g so you have the extra as needed.
Optional additions - go sweet, go savoury, add some visual fancy factor - or don't! Your choice with any of the following
- 1 tbsp mixed herbs of your choice Add a spice blend to give your crackers a bit of a flavour if you fancy some variation between batches.
- 1 tbsp rapadura sugar Adding a tiny hint of sweetness can be delicious if you're serving these with a cheese plate
- 2 dates 2 medjool dates ground into the buckwheat flour instead of the rapadura, is again a delicious twist for serving with nut or dairy cheeses.
- 1/4 cup pepitas/pumpkin seeds You can sprinkle these over your cracker dough once it's rolled out for visual effect and added nutrients. Just sprinkle and lightly press them into the dough so they bake into it and don't just fall off when it's cooked.
- 1/4 cup buckwheat kernels/buckinis another optional extra to scatter over your rolled dough sheets and lightly press into the dough when you bake it for garnish and added crunch.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 190C/360F
- If starting with buckinis/buckwheat kernels, grind the 340g in the Thermomix on speed 10 for 10 seconds to make your flour. If starting with flour you have unfortunately wasted 5 seconds reading this step 😉
- Place 320g of your buckwheat flour, water, olive oil and salt in a bowl and start mixing with your hands until it forms a dough. Work into a good, firm dough. (If you'd prefer to do this step in your Thermomix or Stand Mixer, pop all ingredients in the TM and mix on speed 4 for 15 seconds or pop in your stand mixer and mix on medium speed for 25-30 seconds until it comes together into a dough.)
- Take out of the bowl and scatter some buckwheat flour on the bench and start working the dough into a big ball. Cut the ball in two - they'll be approx 260 g each - which will be the perfect size for 2 oven trays once they're rolled out. Shape each half into a ball. Set aside for a minute.
- Now, take two sheets of baking paper (3 sheets if you're cooking both halves today) and grease them with a little olive oil. An easy way to do this is to have a sponge that you use for this purpose only that lives in the drawer, and I simply drizzle a little olive oil into it and wipe that sponge over the baking paper.
- Now place the first half of the dough onto the greased baking sheet, and place the other greased baking sheet face down over the ball so it's sandwiched between the two greased papers. Get your rolling pin and roll it out into a rough big rectangle about 2mm thick.
- Remove the top paper and pop the dough and the paper onto a baking tray.
- Now get the remaining greased sheet and place the ball on top, and get the just-used top sheet and put it back on top - no need to re-grease it. Repeat the roll out into a rough rectangle and pop on a baking tray with just the bottom paper underneath.
- If you're scattering seeds on top do that now. They're totally fine nude if you want to conserve ingredients.
- Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes - this will really depend if your oven runs hot; if it's fan forced or not. Edges getting dark before the middle does? If they get very dark, my pro tip is to crack off the edges - yay your first crackers from the batch - and then bake the remaining sheet another 5 so the whole sheet of cracker goes golden.
- Once golden, take out of the oven to cool and break into small and large shards and they're ready to serve with whatever your favourite spreads are.
- Keep in an airtight container like a glass lock for up to a week, but they are at their freshest for 3-4 days.
- Only want to bake one sheet? No problem. wrap the other one up in one of the baking sheets and freeze up to 3 months. Defrosting instructions below in the notes.
Notes
Comments 4
Can I just use water and no oil?
Alexx these look amazing and if they’re even 1/2 as good as your Free From Lots crackers, I know they’ll be amazing. I can’t wait to try! Thanks Genius x
Author
Thanks Linda. Let me know how you go with them x
Will try this weekend!