Every weekend I make sourdough for our family … enough to share amongst three households so that it spreads far and wide … I love seeing how a little bit of “sourdough starter” converts spelt flour into a delicious healthy form of bread that can be enjoyed by us all.
I also use our sourdough to make crackers … usually one small loaf is all that is needed to keep our supplies going for a few weeks depending on what we are eating at the time, and if we are entertaining.
At my classes I have been serving these crackers with soup, labne and pesto, and have been asked multiple times the process for making them. As I am preparing another batch it is a great opportunity to take some photos of the method I follow to share with those that are interested.
You can use any uncut loaf you like, but it works best with a “solid” type of loaf like a sourdough, whether that is white, wholemeal, rye, or any other combination.
These crackers keep for a long time in a sealed container … we usually consume them well within 6 to 8 weeks, but I do believe they will keep longer, and if necessary they can be refreshed in the oven for just a few minutes.
Cooking time will largely depend on how thick you cut the slices … individual pieces will also cook at slightly different times as it is hard to ensure all slices have been cut the same thickness as you are doing this by hand. A good bread knife is almost compulsory for this, as it will definitely help keep your slices fairly consistent.
The crackers are great to have for lunch with some light toppings, to serve with dips, as part of an antipasto platter, or even broken into pieces and scattered over salads for a crisp texture.
Traditionally crackers like this would be sprinkled with a little olive oil before baking, and in some cases rubbed with a clove of garlic too … but I like to keep them plain and simple for home use.
I use our sourdough to make crackers ... usually one small loaf is all that is needed to keep our supplies going for a good few weeks depending on what we are eating at the time, and if we are entertaining.
You can use any uncut loaf you like, but it works best with a "solid" type of loaf like a sourdough, whether that is white, wholemeal, rye, or any other combination.
These crackers keep for a long time in a sealed container ... we usually consume them well within 6 to 8 weeks, but I do believe they will keep longer, and if necessary they can be refreshed in the oven for just a few minutes.
Cooking time will largely depend on how thick you cut the slices ... individual pieces will also cook at slightly different times as it is hard to ensure all slices have been cut the same thickness as you are doing this by hand. A good bread knife is almost compulsory for this, as it will definitely help keep your slices fairly consistent.
The crackers are great to have for lunch with some light toppings, to serve with dips, as part of an antipasto platter, or even broken into pieces and scattered over salads for a crisp texture. Traditionally crackers like this would be sprinkled with a little olive oil before baking, and in some cases rubbed with a clove of garlic too ... but I like to keep them plain and simple for home use.
- 1 small loaf of firm bread such as a sourdough
- Preheat oven to 150 degrees fan forced
- Place one rack on lowest shelf, and the other rack second from the top so that you can bake two trays at a time
- Get two baking trays ready, and also cooling trays if you have them ... you will need two but if you don't have them the crackers can cool on a tray as long as they are in a single line
- Cut your loaf in half lengthways down the middle
- Lay each half on its side and cut into thin slices to suit
- Place the slices onto the baking trays facing the same direction
- Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and turn the slices over, return the trays to the oven
- Bake for 8 minutes, remove from oven and feel the slices ... if they are firm remove to a cooling rack to cool
- Leave the rest on a single baking tray but ensure they are turned over again
- Bake for 3 minutes, remove from oven and feel the slices again removing the ones that are now firm but leave the others there ... you should only have a few left now ... these will be the ones that may have been slightly thicker than the rest ... turn them over again
- Bake for 3 minutes where they should be firm by now, but if not repeat the process until they are
- Allow to cool completely before storing in a sealed container
- Crackers will keep for up to two months, but can be refreshed in the oven for a few minutes if you feel they need it
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