Seeded Garbanzo Crackers

I've made bread. I've made pretzels. But I have never made crackers. I remedied that last night so Jake and I could have some cheese, crackers, and wine after the boys went to bed. Though it is so easy to drop a box of crackers into your shopping basket, making crackers is almost as simple.

I started with this recipe, via npr.org, from Peter Reinhart's Artisan Breads Every Day. Then I made a few changes to match what I had in my cupboard. Also, I chose not to use a cookie cutter or slice the cracker; instead I rolled it flat and baked it as one large cracker that we then broke into organic shapes and smeared with brie. Delicious!

2 C garbanzo flour
1 C white whole wheat flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseeds
1/4 C black sesame seeds
2 T olive oil
1 T fennel seeds
2 T honey
3/4 C water, room temperature
freshly ground pink Himalaya salt and flower pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Use a large, sturdy wooden spoon and stir for 1 or 2 minutes. The dough should quickly form a firm ball and shouldn't be sticky. Stir in flour or water as needed to adjust the texture.

Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead for about 30 seconds to be sure all of the ingredients are evenly distributed and that the dough holds together. It should be slightly tacky but not sticky.

Preheat the oven to 300°F and line a baking stone with parchment paper. Roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it is about 1/8-1/16" thick. Mine were on the thicker side. Sprinkle the surface with whatever garnishes you like. I simply used more salt and pepper.

Cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. Once thoroughly cooled, the crackers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for about 8 days, or in a ziplock bag in the freezer indefinitely.