Recipe · Crackers & Snacks

Fresh Milled Cheddar Crackers

By: Eleen Beisner

Crisp, deeply cheesy crackers made with fresh milled soft white wheat and spelt, extra-sharp cheddar, and cheddar powder.

Prep time: 45 minutes · Bake time: 14–18 minutes · Yields: About 14 oz crackers

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Mix the Dry Ingredients

   Add the fresh milled soft white wheat flour, spelt flour, cheddar powder, salt, paprika, onion powder, and baking powder to a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine.

2. Add the Cheese and Butter

   Add the shredded cheddar and softened butter. Pulse until the cheese and butter are evenly distributed and the mixture looks finely crumbly.

3. Add the Water

   Add 30 g (2 tablespoons) cold water and pulse several times.

   Squeeze a small amount of dough between your fingers. If it holds together easily, move on to the resting step. If it is extremely dry and will not hold together at all, add a little more cold water.

4. Rest the Dough

   Cover the dough and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. This gives the freshly milled flour time to absorb the moisture.

   After resting, check the dough again. If it still feels dry or crumbles when pressed together, add additional cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until it becomes cohesive.

   If the dough feels very soft, sticky, or difficult to roll, place it in the refrigerator for 10–15 minutes to firm up before rolling.

5. Roll the Dough Thinly

   Preheat the oven to 350°F.

   Roll the dough to about 1/16 inch thick. The thinner and more evenly you roll it, the crispier the crackers will be.

6. Cut the Crackers

   Cut the dough into roughly 1-inch squares using a pizza cutter, pastry wheel, or knife.

   Poke one hole in the center of each cracker with a toothpick or skewer.

   Transfer the crackers to a parchment-lined baking sheet and sprinkle very lightly with additional fine salt, if desired.

7. Bake

   Bake at 350°F for 14–18 minutes, or until the crackers are golden with slightly deeper color around the edges.

   Begin checking around 13 minutes because very thin crackers can brown quickly.

8. Dry for Extra Crispness

   Turn the oven off and crack the oven door slightly.

   Leave the crackers inside for another 10 minutes to help remove excess moisture and give them a crisp snap.

   Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Baker's Notes

How to Know the Dough Is Right

The dough does not need to look perfectly smooth in the food processor. After the 15-minute rest, squeeze a little between your fingers. It should hold together easily without crumbling, but it should not feel wet or sticky.

Fresh milled flour can absorb different amounts of water from batch to batch, so let the dough texture guide you rather than aiming for one exact final amount of water.

Storing

Let the crackers cool completely before storing. Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature for about 5–7 days.

If they lose some crispness, place them in a 300°F oven for 5–7 minutes, then cool completely before storing again.