Crispy Fennel Seed Flatbread Crackers

用料

plain unbleached flour OR refined spelt flour	225g
baking powder	½ tsp
fine salt	¾ tsp
poppy seeds	1 tsp
sesame seeds	2 tsp
fennel seeds, coarsely ground	2 tsp
coarse black pepper	2 pinches
olive oil	2 tbsp
warm water with a squeeze of lemon juice	120ml warm water
Extra olive oil for painting on the dough
Flaky salt

Crispy Fennel Seed Flatbread Crackers的做法

Pop the flour into a large bowl along with the baking powder and salt and give it a good going over with a large whisk.
mix in the seeds and pepper before making a well; pour in the oil and water. Stir well and then knead in the bowl a few times before turning out onto a floured surface to lightly knead 20 times. It’s not super crucial but I do think it helps to develop the gluten, even for a short time. Roll the dough into a rough cylinder, wrap in cling film and rest in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Roll the cylinder into a sausage shape about a foot long and mark out notches at about 4 inch intervals. Cut off one notch and roll out in a rectangle as thinly as possible on a flour-dusted surface or directly onto a sheet of baking paper, flouring the rolling pin as necessary. If it seems a bit resistant to rolling at any point, just leave it to rest for a few minutes. This allows the gluten to relax and become more elastic.
Use a knife and clean ruler, or rim of a baking tray, to neaten the rectangle and then cut the rectangle into strips, then into smaller rectangles. To keep it simple you could just make smaller notches and snip off and roll each into a longue/tongue shape (see image below). You could make it fancier by cutting with a crimp-edged cutter, or use floured cookie cutters to make shapes or rounds.
Carefully lift and place each rolled piece onto a parchment paper-lined large baking tray (unless you have rolled the dough directly onto the paper), piercing each lightly and evenly at regular intervals with a fork. Brush the entire surface with more olive oil (don’t be stingy), scatter over with flaky salt, and bake in a hot (220C/425F) oven for between 8 and 10 minute. Watch carefully. You may get a few singed ends but that’s part of the charm of these.
Remove carefully and lay on a baking rack to cool and crisp up further. Carry on with the remaining dough. If you have a few baking trays just do all of the rolling and cutting in a one-er.

小贴士

Serves: Zillions

Variation: Try using Indian spicing – a good pinch of garam masala or mild curry powder, plus kalonji/nigella seeds, sesame seeds and poppy seeds.