Savory Crackers Featuring Spelt and Oats
Roger Saul has brought us an entire book, Spelt, dedicated to this underappreciated ancient grain. Similar to wheat, it has its own hearty flavor and texture that is so welcomed in today’s whole grain baking. These crackers use spelt in two ways – flakes and flour – as well as steel cut oats for extra heartiness in terms of taste and texture. Heart healthy olive oil is the featured fat. As depicted, these crackers are stellar with your best cheeses, such as a sharp blue. Also check out Saul’s Rhubarb Sheetcake and our interview.
Excerpted with permission. Spelt: Meals, Cakes, Cookies & Breads From the Good Grain
Preparation time: 25 minutes Cooking time: 25 minutes
This recipe took a lot of experimentation. At first we tried to make it with 100% spelt,
but found that adding some oats gave them that traditional flavor. They make delicious hors d’oeuvres with all sorts of savory toppings—my favorite is sharp Cheddar, chutney and chives—but they are equally at home with a simple selection of cheeses.
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for greasing (optional)
- ¾ cup steel-cut oats
- ½ cup rolled spelt flakes, ground in a small blender or mortar and pestle, plus extra for dusting
- ½ cup wholegrain spelt flour
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and lightly grease two baking sheets or line with baking paper.
- Put all the ingredients in a large bowl, stir together and make a well in the center. Add ½ cup boiling water, stir through and let the mixture settle for about 10 minutes until it is at room temperature.
- Sprinkle the extra ground rolled spelt flakes on a clean countertop. Divide the dough in half, then roll out each piece until the dough is ¼ inch thick. Use a cutter of your choice to cut out the oat crackers and place them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the crackers are pale golden in color and feel sandy to the touch. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.
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