Herb and Sea Salt Flatbread Crackers

I first saw these flatbread crackers on Chow Chow Linda - one of my favorite blogs. Linda adapted the recipe from the one she found here. The recipe reminded her of the flatbread served at Cafe Fiorello in New York City.  

I served them to friends and family and everyone loved them!  Even the non-bakers said they'd like to try making these.  They are delicious with Fromager D'Affinois (my favorite soft cheese), hummus or simply on their own with a glass of wine.  In a covered container they stayed fresh for about a week - if they last that long.

 

Herb and Sea Salt Flatbread Crackers

Adapted from Here and Here

Printable Recipe

1-3/4 teaspoons instant yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
3 cups flour
1 cup water
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ( plus more for coating the pans)
Dried herbs (I used a blend of equal parts dried California sweet basil and Turkish oregano from Penzeys, about 1/4 cup each, with 2 teaspoons of fleur de sel added)

California-style garlic salt (optional but delicious)

1 small egg whisked with 1 tablespoon milk

2 large sheet pans lined with parchment or silicone mats. Alternatively, you can oil the sheet pans.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Stir yeast into 1/4 cup warm water in a small bowl. Stir in the sugar and allow to rest for ten minutes.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup of water and extra virgin olive oil. Stir in the yeast mixture and knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth - about 2 minutes. You can use a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.  Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest in a warm place until doubled in size - about 30 minutes to an hour.

Punch the dough down and divide into 8 pieces. Keep dough pieces covered until ready to use so they do not dry out.

On a lightly floured counter, roll out a piece of dough as thin as possible into a large rectangle shape, dusting the top of the dough with a little flour to prevent the rolling pin from sticking. Place on a prepared sheet pan (tears are okay).

Brush dough with the egg wash and sprinkle with the herb blend and garlic salt.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Watch carefully as oven temperatures vary.

Notes:

I used a pizza cutter to cut the flatbread into strips as soon as the bread came out of the oven, but you can also break them into irregular shapes by hand. Next time, I might even try cutting the dough into strips before it goes into the oven. 

Any left-over herb blend can be used to make olive oil dipping sauce for bread.

This recipe can also be used for pizza crust.