Tomato and Cheese Crackers

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With almost an entire aisle of crackers to choose from in the supermarket, why would you make your own?

The answer for a twosome is the appeal of fresh crackers whenever you like. When you do the baking, you can have the snap and crunch of a delicious cracker without having leftovers go stale.

But there are creative benefits as well: the satisfaction, the sense of accomplishment, says Eric W. Kastel, associate professor of baking and pastry arts at the Culinary Institute of America.

Although Kastel usually promotes bread baking, and his consumer classes sell out, he's also excited about homemade crackers and flatbreads.

"Crackers with sun-dried tomatoes are one of my favorites," says Kastel, author of "Artisan Breads" (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2010), part of the CIA's At Home series.

A small-batch adaptation of Kastel's tomato and cheese cracker follows.

Although it's an easy no-yeast recipe, there is one trick: making the cracker thin enough to snap. Kastel uses a pasta machine.

You achieve the same results using a rolling pin, going over the dough several times until it's thinner than a typical piecrust. Don't worry if the dough breaks into several large pieces. The uneven shapes are appealing.

As you look at the recipe you'll see a small amount of malt syrup. You can skip the ingredient, but I recommend using it for its distinctive flavor. Leftover malt syrup will last a long time.

These crackers make a welcome addition to a July 4th picnic or outing. Pack them along with your favorite cheeses or spreads.

Tomato and Cheese Crackers

Makes about 12 crackers.

Preparation time: 1 1/2 hours

Cooking time: 16 minutes

6 sun-dried tomato halves (not oil-packed)

1/4 cup olive oil plus extra for baking

1/8 teaspoon malt syrup

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup semolina flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Coarse sea salt

Place the tomatoes in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside for 15 minutes or until tomatoes are tender. Drain well and finely chop. Set aside.

Combine 1/2 cup room-temperature water, oil and malt syrup in bowl of electric mixer. Add all-purpose flour, semolina flour and salt. Mix at low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down dough. Add tomatoes and cheese and beat at low speed for 2 more minutes. Dough will be firm. Remove from mixer, divide in half and form into 2 disks. Wrap in plastic wrap. Set aside 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Roll out one disk at a time on a very lightly floured work surface. Roll about 1/8-inch thick or thinner if you can. Cut the dough into uneven pieces and arrange in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush very lightly with olive oil; cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes. Remove plastic wrap. Lightly season crackers with sea salt.

Place baking sheet in oven. Immediately reduce heat to 375 F. Bake for 8 minutes; remove baking sheet from oven, turn crackers over and bake an additional 5 to 8 minutes. The crackers should be lightly browned and firm. Remove from oven. Cool crackers on wire rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for a week.

Each cracker (without added oil or salt) has: 140 calories; 4.75 grams total fat; 3.5 grams protein; 19 grams carbohydrates; 1.3 milligrams cholesterol; 80 milligrams sodium and 1 gram dietary fiber.

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Tomato and Cheese Crackers - Bev Bennett Recipes

(c) 2010 Bev Bennett Recipes