068 / 75 · Pour, crunch and give
Orange, Sesame and Black Pepper Rye Crackers
36 crackers, approximately 5 × 5 cm; 4 packs of 9; 12 snack portions of 3 · Active 30 min · Cook 25 min · Total 1 hr 30 min
Print recipe · PDFThese are thin, sharp-edged crackers rather than a bread basket in miniature. Orange zest turns up first, then sesame and black pepper. The rye is balanced with wheat flour so the dough can be rolled and moved without making the task an endurance test.
A grid makes a useful gift
Rolling one measured square and cutting a six-by-six grid gives 36 crackers with no decorative offcuts. Four packs of nine are easy to count and label. The small variation at the edges is part of a handmade cracker, not a reason to trim away another portion.
Crisp before closing
A closed tin traps any warmth and steam left in the crackers. Cool them completely in a single layer before packing. The stated few-day quality window is for a freshly baked gift; it is not a tested shelf-life or a promise that they will survive weeks in the post.
Ingredients
- 100 g all-purpose flour
- 70 g rye flour
- 15 g ready-to-eat sesame seeds
- 25 ml olive oil
- 80 ml water
- 10 g fine sugar
- 3 g fine salt
- 3 g finely grated zest from a washed orange
- 1 g finely ground black pepper
Set out
Oven with two usable shelves for the stated simultaneous-tray timing, Digital scales, Mixing bowl and spoon, Rolling pin, Two sheets of baking paper, Ruler and knife or pizza wheel, Two baking trays with usable flat areas of at least 40 × 30 cm, Cooling racks, Four clean airtight gift containers, Fork for pricking the dough pieces
Allergens
Wheat, Sesame. Check labels and substitutions.
Make it
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line both trays. Mix both flours, sesame, sugar, salt, orange zest and pepper. Stir in all the oil and water, then knead briefly in the bowl to an even dough. Rest covered for 5 minutes while preparing the rolling space.
- Roll the entire dough between the two sheets of paper into a 30 × 30 cm square, about 2.5–3 mm thick. Move thicker dough toward the corners rather than cutting it away. Peel off the top paper.
- Mark six equal rows and six equal columns, 5 cm apart, and cut 36 squares. Transfer 18 to each tray in three rows of six, leaving about 5 mm between them. Prick each square twice with a fork.
- Bake both trays for 20–25 minutes, swapping shelves and rotating after 12 minutes. The crackers should be dry through, crisp at the edges and lightly browned underneath. If using only one oven shelf, bake sequentially and add up to 25 minutes to the total.
- Cool a test cracker for 3 minutes and break it. If the middle is still bendy or doughy, return the trays for 3–5 minutes and check again. Cool all crackers on racks for about 40 minutes, until completely cold. Pack nine in each of four containers; three crackers make one snack portion.
Bring it
Cool fully before closing four clean dry containers. Carry them level and protect the crackers from heavy dishes; include the ingredient list and baking date. No refrigeration is needed for these fully baked, unfilled dry crackers.
Finish at the gathering
Ready to open and share, with no oven, dip or garnish required. Each nine-piece pack provides three three-cracker snack portions.
Make it yours
The orange-pepper flavor suits a winter supper gift, a housewarming or a picnic later in the year. Change the wrapping or occasion note rather than adding an unmeasured topping.
Ingredient labels
Contains wheat and rye, both gluten-containing grains, and Sesame. Check flour and seed labels for additional declared allergens; do not describe these as gluten free.
A useful detail
The 90-minute plan is 25 minutes to mix, rest, roll and cut, 25 to bake on two shelves, and 40 to cool. Thickness controls baking time more than color. Fully bake the flour dough; do not taste raw dough or substitute a home flour heat-treatment.
Another way
- Use 2 g finely grated lemon zest instead of 3 g orange zest; keep the dough and count unchanged.
- For a gentler pack, reduce the black pepper from 1 g to 0.5 g. Label the sesame and flours just as clearly.
Keep it well
Keep completely cooled crackers airtight in a cool, dry place for up to 4 days for best texture. Pack close to the giving date; this is not a validated long-life or shipping recipe.