Okay, so I’ve been trying to cut out gluten, and let me tell you, finding good crackers is HARD. Most of the gluten-free stuff in stores tastes like cardboard. So, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make some soda crackers. I found a few recipes online, but none of them were quite right, so I kinda just winged it. Here’s what I did:
Gathering My Ingredients
First, I grabbed all my ingredients. This is what I ended up using:
- Gluten-free all-purpose flour blend (I used one with xanthan gum already in it)
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Butter (cold, because that’s what you do with regular crackers, right?)
- Milk (I used regular, but I bet almond milk would work too)
- A little bit of honey (just a touch for sweetness)
Mixing the Dough
I dumped the flour, baking soda, and salt into a big bowl and whisked it all together. Then, I cut the cold butter into little pieces and tossed it into the bowl. Using my fingers (you could use a pastry cutter, but who has time for that?), I worked the butter into the flour until it looked like coarse crumbs. It’s a little messy, but kinda satisfying.
Next, I mixed the milk and honey together in a separate cup. Then, I slowly poured that into the flour mixture, stirring with a spoon until it started to come together. Once it was mostly mixed, I dumped it out onto a lightly floured surface and kneaded it a few times. Just enough to form a smooth ball. Don’t overdo it, or your crackers will be tough.
Rolling and Baking
I rolled out the dough super thin. Like, really, really thin. The thinner the better, if you want crispy crackers. Then I used a pizza cutter (a knife works too) to cut the dough into squares. I pricked each square a few times with a fork, I guess so they don’t puff up too much in the oven.
I carefully transferred the crackers to a baking sheet (I used parchment paper, but you don’t have to). Then, I popped them into a preheated oven. My oven is a little wonky, so I baked them at 375°F (190°C) for about 12-15 minutes. You want to keep an eye on them – they should be lightly golden brown around the edges.
The Finished Product
I pulled the baking sheet out of the oven and let the crackers cool completely on a wire rack. And that’s it! They were actually pretty good! Crispy, a little salty, and definitely not like cardboard. I sprinkled some with a little extra salt after baking, but that’s optional.
They were pretty good for my first shot. I’m will try to do a better verison next time!
