Sesame Flaxseed Crackers

It’s easy to dismiss these seeded crackers as health food based on the name alone, but unlike the bricks of sawdust available at your local GNC, these actually taste great. Coarsely ground sunflower seeds, flaxseed meal, and sesame seeds are slightly sweetened with honey to create crispy morsels that put any off-the-shelf cracker to shame.

It’s good enough plain, but there are a lot of flavoring and glazing options for the finished crackers. Sugary toppings or spiced oils can quickly transform the crackers into something either sweet or savory. My preference involves a little of both — a simple honey glaze topped with a light sprinkling of kosher salt.

recipe adapted from Peter Reinhart’s Whole Grain Breads

Sesame Flaxseed Crackers

Ingredients                  Volume          Ounces          Grams
whole wheat flour                 1.75 cups       8            227
sunflower seeds, ground           6 tbsp          2             56
sesame seeds, whole               6 tbsp          2             56
flaxseed meal                     3 tbsp          1             28
salt                               .25 tsp         .07           2
water                              .625 cups      5            142
honey                             1.5 tbsp        1             28
canola oil                        2 tbsp          1             28

2 tbsp honey + 2 tbsp warm water to glaze (optional)
kosher salt (optional)

Notes:

• Use almonds, hazelnuts, or pumpkin seeds instead of the sunflower seeds.
• Leave at room temperature overnight after kneading to turn the dough into a soaker and allow it to develop more flavor. Of course, this is completely optional.

Final Dough Instructions:

Mix             Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until a firm ball is
                formed.

Knead           3 minutes

Dough must pass the windowpane test. Just kidding.

Rest            20 minutes

Divide          2 pieces

Shape           Prepare 2 half sheet pans lined with either
                parchment paper or silicon mats. On a lightly
                oiled work surface, roll each piece of dough
                thinly into a rectangular shape to fill the sheet
                pan.
                Transfer the rolled dough carefully onto the
                prepared sheet pans. Using a pizza wheel,
                bench scraper, or cookie cutter, cut the rolled
                dough into shapes and sizes of your choice.

An 8 year-old can do better than that.

Preheat Oven    350ºF

Bake            Bake for 10 minutes at 350ºF. Rotate if
                necessary and bake for another 10 minutes,
                or until the crackers are deeply browned.

Glaze           Brush with honey-water mixture and sprinkle
                with kosher salt immediately after removing
                from the oven (optional). The crackers will
                get crisp as they cool.

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