Homemade Crackers

“Mum…”

There is that certain lilt in his voice that makes me think he is about to ask for something he knows he can’t have, or tell me something totally ridiculous. It ends up being the latter.

“Mum… if someone says ‘biscuit’ how can you tell if they are talking about a sweet biscuit, or a savoury one? ”

“I don’t know” I mumble.

“Because the word biscuit just means biscuit, and it would be really bad to be expecting a Timtam and get a BBQ shape instead… or the other way around. So how can you know?”

“I guess you’d have to ask.” I say, hoping that is the end of this deep and meaningful conversation, but it’s not.

“People should use a different word, something more… descriptive. Something like Ssss-biscuit for sweet biscuits and… oh wait that wouldn’t work.”

“Crackers” I say through gritted teeth.

“Maybe you could call them biscuit-ahs and biscuit-ers?”

Are you serious kid?? You are driving me bonkers… no… crackers!

“Crackers… you can just call savoury biscuits crackers ok! Crackers!!”

And that is how this Australian, who lives in Australia, and would normally call them biscuits, ended up calling these yummy homemade olive oil biscuits… CRACKERS!

homemade crackers - simple herb and olive oil cracker recipe.

Making homemade crackers seems hard, but it’s actually dead easy. The ‘dough’ is super simple, no yeast, and you can flavour them any way you like.

These are kinda like mini baked tortillas, except it doesn’t matter if they don’t end up the least bit round when you roll them out. I enlist my kids to help roll them out, so ours aren’t always as thin as they could be, but it doesn’t matter much.

You can sprinkle these with anything you like – we almost always go with fresh or dried herbs, whatever we’ve got and some sea salt. So yum.

homemade crackers - simple herb and olive oil cracker recipe.

Homemade Crackers

Homemade Crackers

Yield: lots
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes

Making homemade crackers seems hard, but it’s actually super easy. The ‘dough’ for these crackers is super simple, no yeast, and you can flavour them any way you like.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups plain flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 3 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
  • ½ tsp salt, plus extra for sprinkling
  • Seasoning of your choice - herbs, paprika, pepper, garlic

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl combine the flour and baking powder. Make a well in the centre and add the olive oil and half the water.
  2. Mix the wet and dry ingredients together, adding a little more water as you go if needed, until it comes together as a rough ball, Knead the dough for a few minutes until it becomes smooth dough.
  3. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and set it aside for a while at room temperature.
  4. Meanwhile prepare your seasoning and add a little olive oil to a dish for brushing.
  5. Preheat your oven to 210 Celsius and line 3 large trays with baking paper.
  6. Pinch small, marble sized, pieces of dough from the ball, roll them into rough balls, and using a little flour so they don't stick roll them out into rough oval shapes. Make sure to roll them as thin as you possibly can.
  7. Put the rolled crackers onto the trays, brush well with lots of olive out and sprinkle with your seasoning of choice and some salt.
  8. Bake the crackers in a hot oven for 5-8 minutes or until they bubble and begin to turn golden brown.
  9. Allow them to cool completely and story them in an air tight container, or scoff the lot while they are still warm with some dip!

So get the rolling pin out and make some biscuits… I mean crackers!

homemade crackers - simple herb and olive oil cracker recipe.

What do you call them? Biscuits or Crackers? Or something else?

 

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22 Comments

  1. I just adore your blog. Seriously, your parenting advice, experiences, and reflections always strike at exactly the time I need them most. And… You always share such unique and yet totally kid friendly recipes for us to try! Thanks for sharing your wisdom, perspective, and treats- it is appreciated :) oh, and I’m in the US so we call them crackers(savory) and cookies (sweet), and biscuits are another yummy thing altogether!

  2. As an Australian-American (or Ameri-Australian?) I have also struggled with the lack of precision in the term “biscuit”. I concur, when you think you’re getting a Tim Tam, nothing else will quite do the trick.

      1. Give me a rice cracker over a timtam any day after all the hype I was so disappointed when given timtams but sour cream and chive rice crackers and others I discovered in N.Z I love.
        Can’t wait to try out your recipe.

  3. Huh. I never thought about what I might call them, but this was such a fun read :) Thanks for sharing this recipe and I look forward to the day when my 1 year old son is able to share his thoughts with me *hehe*

  4. I just made these and topped them with olive oil, pink Himalayan salt, and a Middle Eastern spice blend called za’atar. Instead of rolling individually, I rolled out the dough and cut them out with a champagne flute. Will definitely make for a wine and cheese party! Thanks for sharing!

  5. I made these today and they are now in my favorites!!!
    I used a tortilla press to start the process, then finished by pinching them by hand.

  6. Tomorrow I shall try your recipe. Don’t have anything but fresh basil.
    I think it will work well. First time read, thank you very much!

  7. Hi Kate,
    We just had delicious home-made crackers, your recipe. I didn’t start them until dinner
    was about ready, so only baked about half. I sprinkled parm cheese and a scant amount of
    Kosher salt.
    I just read your recipe again and see that in the list of ingredients you list baking powder,
    which I used. But reading instructions you mention baking soda. Next time, which should I use?
    Regards,
    Rebecca

  8. Do you use baking soda or baking powder? You called for baking powder in the ingredients but baking soda in the instructions. Thanks!

    1. I’ve not tried making it with gluten free flour so I don’t know. If you give it a go let us know how it turns out.