Homemade Artisan Crackers

A few years ago I ate my first Raincoast Crisp and it was love at first bite. Unfortunately my budget doesn’t allow for purchasing these delicious, albeit expensive, artisan crackers very often. So I went in search for a recipe that would allow me to make my own crisps at home. I came across rosemany raisin pecan crisps posted on Dinner with Julie and was surprised by how good they turned out. I have since put my own spin on the recipe. These crackers are simple to make and make for a yummy appetizer if you don’t eat them all before the guest arrive.

Homemade Artisan Crackers
Makes four loaves which yields a lot of crackers!
600g (4 cups) flour
4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 L (4 cups) buttermilk
90 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar, packed
170 g (1/2 cup) honey, warmed if necessary

Flavour: Raisin, Pecan and Rosemary
For two loaves
150g (1 cup) raisins
80 g (1/2 cup) whole pecans, chopped coarsely
35 g (1/4 cup) flax, ground
1 Tbsp. fresh rosemary, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)

Flavour: Cranberry, Almond and Thyme
For two loaves
150g (1 cup) cranberries, dried
80 g (1/2 cup) whole almonds, chopped coarsely
35 g (1/4 cup) flax, ground
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, minced (or 1 tsp. dried)

Please Note! If you choose to make only one flavour of crackers, double the amounts of ingredients listed in your flavour of choice above.

Preheat the oven to 175 C (350 F). Prepare four 20 by 10 cm (8 by 4 inch) bread pans either by lining them with parchment paper or greasing the sides with butter.

In a large bowl add the flour, baking soda and salt. In another bowl whisk together the buttermilk, brown sugar and honey.

Now here is the fun part, this recipe makes four loaves of bread. You can choose to make them all the same or make two different kinds. If you choose to make only one kind of cracker double the amounts of ingredients listed in one of the flavours above. If you choose to make two varieties measure the ingredients in the two options above and place them in two separate large bowls.

Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and whisk until smooth. If making one kind of loaf add the remaining ingredients to the mixture and stir to combine. If making two kinds of loaves divide the dough equally between the two bowls of different ingredients and stir to combine.

Divide the dough between the four bread pans and place them into the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through. The loaves are done when the top is golden brown and the bread springs back when touched. Remove the loaves from the pan and let them cool on a rack. When the loaves have cooled place them in the freezer. It will be much easier to cut the loaf into thin slices after it has been frozen.

Preheat the oven to 150 C (300 F). Take out the frozen loaves and slice into 3 mm (1/8 inch) slices. Place the slices on a parchment covered baking sheet and place into the preheated oven. Tip: You don’t have to slice up all of the loaves right away. Keep the loaves frozen and slice them up as you need crackers.

Bake for a total of 15 to 25 minutes, depending on how thinly the loaf was sliced. Rotate the pans half way through baking. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let it cool on a rack. Remove the crackers when cooled and try not to eat them all at once.