homemade wheat thins

my homemade wheat thins

If you're feeling up for it, try making your own wheat thins.  They taste almost exactly like the boxed version, sans the preservatives, with the added charm of not all looking perfectly uniform (well, mine didn't).  They require more work than opening a box of Nabiscos, but if you're trying to stay away from overly processed food, this is a relatively easy compromise.  One more option for something to dip into 5-minute hummus too.  You go Susie Homemaker!

Source:  two peas & their pod


homemade wheat thins

1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tbsps sugar
1/2 tsp sea salt, plus more for sprinkling on top
1/4 tsp paprika
4 tbsps cold butter
1/4 cup water (you might need to add a little more)
1/4 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with wax paper.

Mix flour, sugar, salt and paprika in a medium bowl.  Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the bowl.  Using a pastry blender or your fingertips, mix the butter into the dry ingredients until well incorporated.  Mix water and vanilla together in a small bowl or cup and pour into the butter/flour mixture until a dough forms.  If it's too dry, add a little more water.

Divide the dough into 4 pieces.  Work with one piece at a time and keep the others covered with a towel so they don't dry out.  Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin (or wine bottle) and roll the dough flat into a large rectangle as thin as possible, about 1/16 inch thick all the way across.  Lift up the dough and re-flour your surface as needed so the dough doesn't stick.  Use a pizza or pastry cutter to trim the edges and cut the rectangle into squares, wheat thin size, about 1 to 1/ 1/2 inches wide.  Save your edge scraps, and keep them under the towel so they don't dry out.

Transfer the squares to your baking sheets and sprinkle with salt.  Unlike cookies, they won't spread out when they bake, so you can place them close together.  Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the other pieces of dough, including your dough scraps to finish off with a final batch of crackers.

I actually used a cake pan, but it worked

Bake the crackers about 5-10 minutes, until crisp and lightly browned.  Keep a close eye on them as they can burn very quickly.  Check them at 5 minutes, and if some of the thinner ones are browning too quickly, remove them from the oven.  Remove crackers from the oven and cool on a piece of wax paper or wire rack.  Store them in an airtight container.

cute, right?

I hid many of the 'cute' ones from the above picture at the bottom. ;)