Italian Herb Crackers

If you mention there’s a charcuterie board involved, I’m going all in. They’re the perfect grazing board for vacation, holidays, or for hosting on a budget with little prep involved.

Crackers are a must-have for a charcuterie setup, but costs can add up quickly and you might want to skip the expensive crackers to make room for meats and cheeses. A little goes a long way, and you can save on your next grazing board by making your own crackers!

If you’re thinking it’s too complicated and storebought might be easier, I’ll give you the credit for less cleanup, but it is oh so worth it to make your own if you have a few minutes to spare. It’s as simple as making sugar cookies (arguably way easier because there are half the ingredients) and you can customize the flavors to your other ingredient choices.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp sugar
• 3-4 tbsp Italian seasoning: parsley, thyme, oregano, basil, sage, and rosemary
• 1/2 tbsp of garlic salt;

If you don’t keep garlic salt in the cupboard but still want some garlic in your Italian seasoning, you can alternatively add an extra 2-3 tsp salt and about half a tsp of garlic powder.

Did you know there’s 3 tsp in every tbsp? Knowing this can be quite handy to know when adjusting recipes!

The first time I tried making some Italian herb crackers, I also made some extra plain dough and experimented by adding cheese and paprika to one batch and extra olive oil and black pepper to another. The outcome? Deliciousness.

I’ll definitely make another batch of the cheese paprika crackers to share with you later, but the Italian herb batch was the most versatile while pairing with many cheeses. It’ll take you less than 10 minutes to find your ingredients and mix up a batch, and cook time is short so it won’t take much time or effort to have that extra homemade touch the next time you host.

Instructions

1. Gather your ingredients and measure out those that are dry. Preheat the oven to 425F.
2. Add flour, salt, sugar, and some seasoning to a bowl and stir to combine.
3. Slowly add in the water, stirring as you go. When it looks like sticky cookie dough, add more water and stir until it is soupy, then stir more flour from the bottom of the bowl to get it back to cookie dough consistency. Repeat this process with consistent stirring until all the water is used and there is no unincorporated flour at the bottom of the bowl.
4. Add a splash of olive oil and mix it until well incorporated before flouring your hands to work the dough.
5. Flour your rolling pin, surface, and hands to avoid sticking. Add another tablespoon at a time when necessary. It is easiest to work on a clean countertop or tape town wax paper and work on that instead. Plastic wrap is not a good alternative as it can stick to the dough even with a fresh coating of flour.
6. Divide the dough in half and set some aside covered with a damp paper towel to prevent it from dehydrating. Begin rolling out the dough, adding flour to your rolling pin and the dough as necessary. You’ll want to roll it slightly thinner than the cracker’s desired thickness, about an eighth-inch thick.
7. The easiest way to cut the cracker dough is to use a pizza cutter to slice thin rectangles with precision. If you don’t have a set on hand, transfer your dough to a floured cutting board and use the tip of a non-serrated knife to cut the lines in the dough.
8. Misshapen crackers and edges can be reused to roll out again. Keep all pieces uniform in size and thickness to aid with even baking and to avoid burning.
9. Add your cracker pieces to a parchment-lined baking sheet with some olive oil to prevent sticking. Add another dash of oil on top and sprinkle some salt for added flavor.
10. Bake your crackers for 12-15 minutes, turning over halfway through. No matter the size of your crackers, check them at the 3-minute mark as this will give you a good idea of when to flip them.
11. Flip when the color begins to develop and they look visibly baked and not so much like raw dough despite the visible flour.
12. Once fully baked and golden on both sides, remove from the oven and let them cool for a moment. The pan will still be hot when you transfer them, but the crackers should have cooled slightly and will have hardened in the meantime. Moving them too quickly will likely cause the cracker to break.
13. Consider salting them once more before serving (if necessary) and enjoy your homemade crackers!

This recipe makes enough for about 4-6 people worth of crackers, but can be shared amongst more than that depending on how hungry you are! I would recommend making 2-3 batches for a charcuterie setup so as to have extra for dips and such.