Episode 75
November 6, 2011
Basic Crackers
The holidays are coming up so prepare for a bunch of holiday recommend recipes – including this seemingly lackluster recipe. Don’t be fooled by the simple title. These crackers are one of the easiest, tastiest, and most reliable recipes I have in my repertoire. But none of those qualities is the reason why I love this recipe so much. The biggest draw to this master recipe is how flexible it is to cater to your desired flavor profile.
I got this recipe when I was working at the resort’s bakeshop for my internship (the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess) when I was working third shift with the bread bakers. Every Sunday the resort has a huge brunch and buffet in one of its restaurants. Every department pitches in to help make the brunch extra special. The hot side kitchens supply everything from a-la-minute breakfast foods to meats to tapas to foie gras and even caviar. In the bakeshop, the bread team and the banquet team make tons of goodies. The banquet team makes all kinds of different cakes, roulades, petits fours, and desserts using the trendiest decorating techniques and flavors they can find. The results are absolutely stunning! The bread team makes all kinds of fresh rolls and sweet breads for the brunch but they also make this cracker recipe which goes well with everything!
In the video I make the crackers a little thicker than I was intending so they were more flaky and crunchy (like ritz or chicken in the biskit crackers) than thin and crispy (like wheat thins or pita chips). Remember that depending on how thick you roll the crackers will alter how long they need to bake. Just keep in mind that they need to be golden and just lightly browned on the bottom and edges.
Feel free to experiment and alter the recipe to come up with your own special cracker recipe! One of the best things about making this recipe at the resort was that each member of the bread team got to come up with a spice combination to sprinkle onto the cookies. Go easy on the salt though – there is already a lot of salt in the recipe. Keep in mind that I’m using unsalted butter too. Also be aware that these won’t taste like saltines. Saltines are made using a yeasted dough.
I actually found these buttery crackers to be tastier the next day – plus they don’t need to be refrigerated! Just keep them sealed in a plastic tupperware at room temperature.
How impressed would your guests be when you pull out homemade crackers to serve with dip to snack on while you finish the rest of your Thanksgiving or holiday dinner? This recipe can be virtually stress free – just make the dough a month ahead of time, freeze it, then thaw it out and bake them the night before. Warm them up in the oven and you’ve got a sure crowd-pleaser.
Here is the basic crackers recipe and the video is below! Thank you for watching!
