Lavash Crackers
I’m not a big snacker, but I can always count on cheese and crackers for those times when I do want a snack. It never fails that I have several types of cheese in my refrigerator, but I’m not very adventurous when it comes to crackers. I tend to like ones with some type of topping or added texture (sesame or sunflower seeds, etc.), so I knew I’d love these crackers the moment I found the recipe.
Lavash is a type of flatbread, and its use will depend greatly on how thick you roll it before baking. Lavash crackers are made by rolling the dough paper thin. When kept thicker, this dough can also be used to make pita bread and flatbread roll-ups. I found that I had to roll the dough larger than the recipe specified in order to achieve the correct thinness. The parts that were a little thicker still tasted delicious and were crispy, but they reminded me more of crostini crackers. For especially crispy, easily-snapped-in-two crackers, make sure your dough is thin. You can cut the dough into individual crackers before baking or break it into shards once it cools. I topped mine with coarse salt, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika and black pepper. I loved the different textures and flavors provided by each, and I want to add cumin seeds to the mix next time. This is one of the few recipes in The Bread Baker’s Apprentice that doesn’t require a pre-ferment, so you can have these crackers ready in just a few hours.
- PREP TIME: 2 hours 30 min
- COOK TIME:
1½ cups (6.75 ounces) unbleached bread flour
½ teaspoon (.13 ounce) salt
½ teaspoon (.055 ounce) instant yeast
1 tablespoon (.75 ounce) honey
1 tablespoon (.5 ounce) vegetable oil
⅓-½ cup (3 to 4 ounces) room temperature water
Poppy seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, cumin seeds, kosher salt, or freshly ground pepper for topping
- 1
In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, salt, yeast, honey, oil and enough water to bring the dough together. Sprinkle the counter with flour and transfer the dough to it. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes, or until the dough passes the windowpane test and registers between 77° and 81°F. The dough should be smooth and supple. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, rolling to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to ferment at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the dough has doubled in size.
- 2
Lightly mist the counter with spray oil and transfer the dough to it. Using your hands, press the dough into a square. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour and roll the dough into a paper thin sheet. (The recipe says 15 by 12 inches, but I rolled mine larger.) if the dough needs to rest, simply cover it with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 5 mintues before continuing to roll. Once the dough reaches the desired thinness, allow it to rest for 5 minutes before transferring it to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- 3
Heat the oven to 350° with a rack on the middle shelf. Mist the dough with water and sprinkle on your desired toppings. For precut crackers, use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into diamonds. They will seprate as the dough cooks or easily snap apart after baking. For shards, leave the dough uncut. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the dough begins to brown evenly across the top. This time will depend on how thinly and evenly your dough is rolled.
Allow the crackers to cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then snap apart or into shards and serve. Note: I kept these crackers for three days without any loss in freshness.
These look amazing! If I were to be served these lavash crackers at any restaurant, I would be the happiest customer aruond! I will definitely have to try these sometime.
These crackers and delicious too! The recipe seems fairly easy too, so I’ll definitely have to try!
Yum! These crackers look super yummy! I love all the seeds all over them…I need to give these a try, they look simple! 🙂
I love making homemade crackers. This sounds like an excellent one to try next. These would make an excellent party appetizer.
I love these crackers and can only imagine how good they are homemade.
Beautiful photos!
Beautiful photo! I used this recipe from the BBA to make a pita bread, which worked very well. I’ll have to use it to make crackers next time ~
I’ve made lavash crackers before and actually used my pasta roller to get them thin enough.
What a fantastic idea and another reason I need to invest in a pasta roller.