Homemade lavash crackers! I made these crackers last weekend and I was so pleased with they way they turned out. My pasta roller attachment for my Kitchenaid stand mixer were put to good use once again to make snack breads this past weekend. Last time, I used it to make Grissini. Lavash is one of my favorite types of crackers to serve with a platter of cheese as an appetizer. If you enjoy Lavash crackers also, you know how expensive they are at the grocery store.
I found this recipe in The Bread Bakers Apprentice by Peter Reinhart, one of the James Beard award nominees for 2010. A wonderful book! After I prepared the dough and allowed it to rest and rise, I divided it into workable portions and started running it through the pasta rollers, starting with the widest width and gradually going down to the thinnest setting. This took a little trial and error and I had to allow the dough to rest a bit in between passes through the rollers, but I was able to achieve an even thinness that I don't think I would have been able to duplicate with a rolling pin.
After I placed the sheets of rolled dough on a parchment-lined baking sheet, I sprinkled them with a variety of seeds and spices, Kosher salt, paprika, sesame and poppy seeds and then cut it into rectangles.
Lavash Crackers
Adapted from The Bread Bakers Apprentice
Printable Recipe
Makes about 2 dozen crackers
1-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
13 to 1/2 cup water, at room temperature
Seeds and herbs for topping such as sesame, poppy, cumin or caraway seeds, kosher salt, paprika, etc.
Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, salt, yeast, honey, oil and only enough water to moisten and gather into a ball. You may or may not need the entire 1/2 cup of water.
Place the ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 10 minutes.
Put the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for about 90 minutes or until doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 350F.
Divide the dough into about 4 sections and lightly flatten with your fingertips. Start passing the small section of dough through the widest setting on your pasta roller. Allow each section of dough to rest, covered with a clean towel for 5 minutes before proceeding. Keep adjusting the pasta roller narrower and narrower until it is paper thin and place the sheets on the prepared pans. Alternately, you can use a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface and roll out paper thin. Sprinkle with the toppings of your choice and then cut into rectangles with a pastry wheel or pizza cutter. You can also leave them whole and break into shards.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the tops look evenly browned.
