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Cajun-Spiced Soda Crackers

Source of Recipe

From "Down South" by Donald Link


Recipe Introduction

"These rich and spicy crackers are great with Creamy Onion Dip, Smoked Mullet Dip, or Crab Louis. They're also the perfect partner for a bowl of creamy oyster stew or a cheese board. When it comes to making your own crackers, a few tricks will ensure perfect results. Chilling the dough before rolling it out makes the process much easier. Make sure you lightly flour your work surface *and* rolling pin before rolling out the dough. Remember that the crackers will be broken into irregular shards, so don't sweat rolling them into a perfect shape. Be sure to bake them to a golden brown color; underbaked crackers won't have a crisp texture. Wait until the crackers are completely cool before you break them into pieces (if they don't seem crisp enough, you can always return them to the oven for an additional 5 minutes)."

List of Ingredients

â—¦  ¾ cup rendered lard, cold
â—¦  4 cups all-purpose flour
â—¦  1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
â—¦  1 teaspoon baking powder
â—¦  ½ teaspoon black pepper
â—¦  ½ teaspoon garlic powder
â—¦  ½ teaspoon onion powder
â—¦  ½ teaspoon dried thyme
â—¦  ¼ teaspoon cayenne
â—¦  ¼ teaspoon celery seed
â—¦  1 â…“ cups whole milk


Recipe

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the lard, flour, salt, baking powder, black pepper, garlic and onion powders, thyme, cayenne, and celery seed. With the mixer running on low speed, add the milk and mix until incorporated. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 8 minutes, to pull the dough together. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 days (or freeze for up to 1 month).

When you're ready to bake, adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 350° F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Unwrap the dough and divide it into quarters. Wrap three of the quarters in plastic and return to the fridge. With a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out one section of the dough on a lightly floured surface to the desired thickness; for a thin cracker, the dough should be less than ¼ inch thick. Drape the dough over the rolling pin and transfer it to the prepared baking sheet (use your fingers to stretch and spread it into place, as needed).

Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes; allow the crackers to cool on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining quarters of dough, using a completely cool sheet each time.

Once the crackers have cooled to room temperature, break into pieces (irregular shards look the best; you'll get about 12 per square), and serve. Stored in an airtight container, the crackers will last one week.

Makes about 4 dozen