Artisan Breads Every Day - Crispy Rye and Seed Crackers

Tired of recipe reviews yet? Here is one more from Peter Reinhart's newest cookbook.

Of all the many recipes that we've enjoyed out of this cookbook, the rye and seed cracker has been made most frequently. This recipe is simple and the results so delicious that there is no reason not to make them again. And again.

The flavor of these crackers is astounding. They leave a satisfying aftertaste that can't be imitated by any cracker from a box. Give them a try!

I have been hesitant to share recipes from this cookbook since it is newly published. I read an interview of Peter Reinhart recently where he stated that he didn't mind if bloggers shared recipes as long as proper credit is given. So I'm sharing the recipe for these crackers. I am abbreviating the directions. If you want to read the entire recipe, go to cookbooker.
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
3 tablespoons flaxseeds
6 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 3/4 cups rye flour or whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil (I used olive oil.)
1 tablespoon honey
3/4 cup water, at room temperature
Egg white wash, optional
Garnishes, optional

Grind the sunflower and pumpkin seeds into a fine powder or flour in a blender or spice grinder. (I used my food processor.) Separately, grind the flaxseeds into a fine powder.
Combine the seed powders and the whole sesame seeds, flour, salt, oil, honey, and water in a mixing bowl. Mix for 1 to 2 minutes with a mixer or by hand. The dough should quickly form a firm ball and shouldn’t be sticky. Stir in flour or water as needed to adjust the texture.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 30 seconds to be sure all of the ingredients are evenly distributed and that the dough holds together. It should be slightly tacky but not sticky.
Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces. (For any that you won’t be baking right away, wrap them well, and refrigerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months; the flavor actually improves after a day or two in the refrigerator.) Use a rolling pin to roll out one portion of the dough on a floured work surface, frequently lifting the dough to be sure it isn’t sticking and dusting with more flour underneath if need be. If the dough resists, gently set it aside and begin rolling out another piece, or let it rest for about 2 minutes. When you return to it, it will roll more easily. Garnish if desired.
Use a pizza cutter to cut the rolled dough into rectangles, diamonds, or other shapes. The crackers need not all be the same size. Transfer the crackers to the prepared pan. They can be nearly touching, as they won’t spread or rise. (I cut the dough right on the pan.)


If making more than one pan of crackers, you can bake them all at once. Place the pans on different shelves and bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pans and bake for another 10 minutes. Rotate the pans once more and continue baking until they’re done—typically 25 to 30 minutes altogether, but it depends on how thin you roll them and on your oven.

Enjoy!