Wholemeal Spelt Crackers

organic wholemeal spelt crackers for lunch

This may sound crazy but hey, it's all end-of-school-holidays mental in this place. You know how many crackers your kid eats, right? I mean, unlike bread crusts, crackers are a food group unto themselves. Ever run out right when you needed them? Yeah, me too. 

And that's when I had this little inspiration:

Why not get the child to make her own?

And then I remembered that actually, I had a similar inspiration just over a year ago. (I think, I blog, I forget, I think, I blog, I remember, oops and so on. I blame many things for this, including parenthood).

But let's pretend this is a completely new idea around my kitchen.
Cracker-making really is a great, kid-friendly activity. There's not much that can go wrong in this recipe, really ... and there's mixing and measuring and kneading and cutting to be done. All fabulous boredom-alleviating activities. Plus, you can make a cup of tea and loosely supervise your kid(s) over your favourite new magazine.

(I recommend this one. With a hot cup of chai.)

Even better - spelt is such a lovely soft flour ... I really love the feel of it! The kind I use (grown biodynamically and locally and purchased from Food Connect) makes an incredibly pliable dough. It's worth seeking out flours you love.

So let's get to it, shall we?
And enjoy the last couple days of summer holidays (if you're in Australia) - and if you're a Northerner? Enjoy that snow :)
Amanda xx

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Wholemeal Spelt Crackers

serves 3

The time
15 min prep + 5-10 min baking

The ingredients

1 1/2 cup wholemeal spelt flour (plus extra for kneading)

1/2 tsp sea salt (plus extra for sprinkling, if you want)

1/2 cup warm water (plus a little or lot extra - depending on flour and ambient humidity)

3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil

The process
1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Line a tray or two with baking paper.

2. Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl, stirring them together with a fork until they get gloopy enough to pick up and knead. Add more water if you need to. Then - amply flouring your benchtop first - knead the dough until smooth and pliable. See that picture above? That's what you want.

3. This time, let's not set it aside. It's nearly lunchtime, and I don't know about you but I'm HUNGRY. Instead, flour the benchtop again and get out your favourite cookie cutter. Roll out the dough so it's just about as thin as you can get it (though not quite see-through) - and use cookie cutters or a knife to create shapes. Place shapes 1 cm apart on your baking tray and poke the top of each a couple times with a fork. (This keeps them from puff-balling on you). Sprinkle with sea salt - if you want - and press it gently into the top of the cracker with your finger so it doesn't slide off.

4. When the tray's full, pop it into the oven for 5-10 min, checking frequently. The crackers are done when they're golden and crispy - but adjust for however you like them. If you undercook these guys they come out like mini-mini flatbreads. Not bad, if you're eating them warm!

5. While the crackers bake, get out your favourite dips and cheeses and set up a nice tray. Call the others. It's just about time for lunch.

The cost 
Around $1-$1.50.