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Buckwheat Seed Crackers This is one of the easiest cracker recipes you can make. Mix the batter, spread it on a baking sheet, and bake. No need to roll. It is extremely crispy. I love serving it as a large cracker and breaking it into shards at the table. Serve it alongside spreads and dips. Here are a few notes about this recipe. - I have tested this recipe only with buckwheat flour, but I think it would be wonderful with chickpea flour as well. The first time I made it, I used Himalayan Tartary buckwheat flour that is super nutritious and hearty and not as dark as the ones from Bob’s Red Mill or Arrowhead Mills. The second time around, I used my usual light buckwheat flour from Anthony’s Goods. They were both delicious, but the light buckwheat is clearly milder. If you are going to use the darker buckwheat flours, the flavor will be more pronounced and color much darker. - I didn’t go crazy with the seeds but there is room for a bit so do increase amount if you’d like. You can use sunflower seeds, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, and other spices like turmeric, saffron, and even dried herbs. Feel free to experiment. This version is the simplest I wanted to offer you. - It’s very important to spread the batter evenly and very thinly. I highly recommend you use a large offset spatula (like the ones for making cakes). Alternatively, you could use a flat spatula or even a bench scraper. But the offset spatula really helps to get large strokes of even batter. - You can bake both baking sheets at once, but I like to bake them one at a time so they really dry out well. Two baking sheets in the oven create a lot of steam and the crackers tend to not dry out as well. You can keep them in longer, of course, but I feel like I have more control over how they dry out with baking one at a time. But I am like that with everything, even cookies. - In the photo here, I served the crackers with cashew cream and topped with a mixture of fava beans, marinated artichokes, mint, chives, and cilantro microgreens. Sprinkled with salt, pepper and drizzled with olive oil. Very simple. The idea came from a recipe I saw in Gill Meller’s book. Makes 2 large sheets 1 cup (120 g) light buckwheat flour 1/2 cup (50 g) almond flour or tiger nut flour 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup (225 g) hot water 1/4 cup (55 g) extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup (35 g) pumpkin seeds 1/4 cup (35 g) sesame seeds 2 teaspoons fennel seeds or fennel pollen Flaky salt, for sprinkling Black pepper, for sprinkling 1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the buckwheat and almond flours, salt, hot water, and olive oil until smooth. The batter will be runny, like heavy cream or very thin pancake batter. Add more water if needed. Cover the bowl and let the batter rest for 20 minutes. 2. Preheat oven to 300F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. 3. The batter will have thickened slightly but will remain pourable and thin. Pour half of the batter on a baking sheet. Using an offset spatula (see headnote), evenly spread the batter reaching the edges of the pan. You want the batter paper thin so it is crispy when baked. Make sure it is as even as possible. Sprinkle half of the pumpkin, sesame, and fennel seeds all over the top of the batter and gently press them down. Sprinkle a little bit of flaky salt and freshly ground black pepper over the top. Repeat with remaining batter on the second baking sheet. 4. Bake for 15 minutes. Rotate baking sheet and continue baking for another 15 minutes. The cracker should be golden brown and dry. Gently remove the cracker from baking sheet lifting the ends of the parchment paper. Place the cracker directly on the oven rack and continue baking for another 5 to 10 minutes until it is completely dry on the bottom. 5. Cool completely on a rack. Break into large shards. Store the crackers in an air-tight container. They keep for several days.
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