Cook shares her graham cracker recipe
Published 4:44 pm Thursday, March 22, 2012
We’re close to winding up our possibilities for from-scratch graham crackers today, to let’s get right to the next-to-last how-to.
Woodinville cook Ann Bowser writes, “I’m enclosing a recipe from www.101cookbooks.com for homemade graham crackers.
“But the best recipes come from two books, the 1984 ‘Fannie Farmer Baking Book’ and ‘Craft of Baking.’ They can still be found at some libraries and some booksellers such as Amazon.”
Graham crackers
21/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons unbleached pastry flour or unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for shaping and rolling dough
1cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and frozen
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey, such as clover
5tablespoons whole milk
1tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Topping: 3 tablespoons granulated sugar plus 1 teaspoon cinnamon
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add butter and pulse on and off, on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and pat the dough into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap in plastic film and chill until firm, about 2 hours or overnight.
To prepare the topping, in a small bowl, combine the sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
Divide the dough in half and return one half to the refrigerator. Sift an even layer of flour onto the work surface and roll the dough into a long rectangle about 1/8-inch thick. The dough will be sticky, so flour as necessary. Trim the edges of the rectangle to 4-inches wide. Working with the shorter side of the rectangle parallel to the work surface, cut the strip every 41/2 inches to make 4 crackers.
Gather the scraps together and set aside.
Place the crackers on one or two parchment-lined baking sheets and sprinkle with the topping. Chill until firm, about 30 to 45 minutes. Repeat with the second batch of dough.
Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Gather the scraps together in a ball, chill until firm, and reroll. Dust the surface with more flour and roll out the dough to get about 2 or 3 more crackers.
Mark a vertical line down the middle of each cracker, being careful not to cut through the dough. Using a toothpick or skewer, prick the dough to form two dotted rows about 1/2 inch for each side of the dividing line.
Bake for 25 minutes, until browned and slightly firm to the touch, rotating the sheets halfway through to ensure even baking.
Makes 10 large crackers.
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