Crackers

Knowing that I was making my own cheese I had a sudden fit to make my own crackers too. Crackers are so easy to make. The only part which takes some time is rolling and cutting them. If you've wanted to try making bread, but your intimidated by it, give crackers a try first. One cracker recipe I have tried before, with great success I might add, is here. The olive oil and rosemary give a wonderful flavor.
The recipe below is my most recent attempt at crackers. I have a very bad habit of scanning instead of really reading a recipe, and I was half way though this when I realized that it calls for a food processor, which I don't have. So I mixed the whole thing up with my hands in a sort of squeezing kneading fashion. It worked just find, though I felt like I had been going some sort of hand exercises by the time I was done. I also found that they taste best when they are rolled very very thin. Looking at the heavy dough I was afraid I was making some really time intensive dog biscuits. But these guys amazed me. They have an amazing cheesy flavor! Almost exactly like cheese-its. Obviously they look nothing like them though. I am certainly going to make a batch with some grated cheese and a little chili powder in them. Shew, they would be amazing! Again the cost savings are pretty good here too. It took less than $1 worth of flour, and I already told you how cheep the yogurt was to make. I get real butter every time it's on sale for $2 or less and keep it in the freezer, so that was $0.50 or less. And I bought a pound of sesame seeds ages ago for a couple dollars which I also keep in the freezer. So you're saving money, and eating a food that you know doesn't have crazy chemicals and preservatives in it. Give them a try. Blessings!c

Whole grain crackers (from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon)
Makes about 5 dozen

2 ½ cups of freshly ground spelt, kamut, whole wheat or rye flour, or a mixture
1 cup of plain yogurt
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
8 tablespoons butter melted
unbleached white flour
Mix flour with yogurt and leave in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours. Place soaked flour, salt, baking power and 4 tablespoons of melted butter in the food processor and process until well blended. Add sesame seeds and pulse once or twice to blend. Roll out to about 1/8 inch on a pastry cloth, using unbleached white flour to prevent sticking. Cut into squares with a knife or rounds with a glass. Place on a buttered cookie sheet, brush with remaining melted butter and bake in a 150-degree oven (or a dehydrator) until they are completely dry and crisp. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

btw- I'm going to try and blog about this soon, but check out this link to learn some about the great health benefits of soaking your grains, like this recipe before baking.