The flavor and texture of the soda crackers surprised me. They were soft and full of flavor. My oldest daughter and I found them irresistible. We couldn't stop snacking! I tested the soda cracker recipe for my book, The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion, but we'll definitely make these again.
Soda Cracker Recipe
Note: Be prepared to chill the soda cracker dough overnight in the refrigerator.
Ingredients:
3/4 cup all-purpose
flour
1 teaspoon instant or bread yeast
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup
warm water
1 tablespoon shortening
salt (sea salt
or pretzel salt work best)
1 tablespoon butter, melted
What to do:
1. Stir ½ cup flour (not all of it), yeast, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar
in a mixing bowl. Stir well. Mix in the warm (not hot) water and shortening until
combined.
2. Now mix in ¼
cup flour to make a drier dough you can knead.
3. Lightly
flour a work surface. Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes.
4. Oil the
inside of a medium or large bowl. Place the dough ball in the bowl and then
flip the dough over so all sides of the dough ball are coated with oil. Cover
the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator overnight.
5. Remove the
soda cracker dough from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 425° F. Lightly grease a large cookie sheet or line it with parchment paper.
6. Deflate the dough by gently
punching it once. Then place it on a floured work surface. Let the dough rest
for 5 minutes.
7. On
the floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a very thin
rectangle. It should be about 1/16” thin.
8. Fold the
dough like you are folding a piece of paper to put it in the envelope. Take one
end and fold about 2/3 of the way across. Then take the other end and place it
on top of the other end, creating three layers of dough.
9. Pick up the
dough and add another dusting of flour below it. Roll the dough out again,
making sure it is 1/16” thick. If it doesn’t want to roll and stretch, let it rest for 5
minutes. You want this to be as thin as possible.
10. Transfer
the dough to the prepared cookie sheet.
11. Use a fork
to create lots of pinpricks all over the dough.
12. Cut the
dough into squares. A pizza cutter or sharp knife will work well.
13. Separate
the dough squares slightly. The soda crackers should be close together but not
touching.
14. Lightly
sprinkle the soda cracker dough with salt.
15. Bake the
crackers for 10-15 minutes. They should be lightly browned.
16. After
removing the crackers from the oven, brush melted butter on them. When completely cooled, snack on these soda crackers. Store any leftover soda crackers in
an airtight container if they're not devoured instantly.
Happy Trails!
Annette Whipple is a nonfiction children's author. Learn more about her books and presentations at www.AnnetteWhipple.com.
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