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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHAT YOU GET: Homemade wheat thins that are just like your favorite store-bought cracker: crispy, slightly sweet, and deliciously salty.
As a host, it’s hard to think of anything that would be more impressive than serving wine and cheese with your own homemade wheat thins. This copycat Wheat Thin cracker recipe gives you everything you know and love about those addicting crackers, except since they’re homemade, they taste unbelievably fresher.
This homemade cracker recipe calls for a combination of whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and a tad bit of sugar. The result is a classic snappy cracker that is perfectly crispy and salty, with just the slightest sweetness.
I love serving these homemade whole-grain crackers alongside my Blue Cheese Compound Butter before our main meal — but be warned, some of your guests may eat too many and not have room for the main course!
How To Make Crackers At Home
I’ll admit that making crackers at home isn’t something that crosses most people’s minds, but the result is hard to deny. Homemade crackers are surprisingly easy, and once you have a taste of how fresh and crispy they are, I don’t think you’ll go back to store-bought!
To make crackers, you first need to make a dough. Making wheat thin dough isn’t unlike the process of making typical pastry or biscuit dough. First, you combine your dry ingredients, and then you cut in cold butter.
Then, it’s just a matter of rolling, cutting, and baking. You want to roll this dough very thin and then, using either a pizza cutter, a knife, or a cookie cutter, cut out squares and transfer them to a baking sheet.
They’ll only take 6 to 8 minutes to bake!
Why Do Wheat Thins Have Holes?
Store-bought wheat thins, and most crackers, have holes — but why? The holes, which are called “docking holes,” help ventilate the crackers. Air expands as the crackers bake, which causes air bubbles to form. Sometimes they burn since they are much thinner than the rest of the cracker, and sometimes they pop and leave big craters in your cracker. The same reason you will dock a pie crust!
Since I do not have access to a factory that houses a docker machine, I use a toothpick to poke about 6 to 9 holes in each cracker to let the air escape.
You don’t want to overdo it on the holes, though. If you poke too many, too much steam will escape, and your crackers will end up dry and hard.
Tools You Need To Make Homemade Wheat Thins
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- 2 Baking sheets
- Parchment paper
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips For Making Wheat Thins At Home
- A touch of all-purpose flour helps this dough roll out a bit thinner and taste more delicate.
- The thinner you can roll these crackers, the crispier they will be.
- Use a ruler and a pizza cutter to cut these crackers.
- You can use cutters to cut these crackers into any other shape that you wish!
- Try these spread with a touch of Savory Compound Butter or served on a charcuterie board.
Try More Homemade Crackers!
- 4-Ingredient Homemade Goldfish Crackers
- Homemade Olive Oil Matzah Cracker Recipe
- Homemade Graham Crackers
Try These Recipes!
Homemade Wheat Thins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (3¾ oz/105 g) whole-wheat flour
- ½ cup (2½ oz/71 g) all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt, plus more as desired
- ¼ cup (2 oz/57 g) butter, cold and diced
- 4 - 5 tablespoons ice water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C) and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt.
- Cut in the butter with a pastry blender until crumbly, then stir in the ice water and knead briefly until a dough is formed. Wrap in cling wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Divide the dough in half and, working with one half at a time, roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface as thinly as possible. Cut into 1¼-inch (3-cm) squares and transfer to a prepared baking sheet. (They don’t really spread so there’s no need to space them too far apart.)
- With a toothpick, poke 6 to 9 holes in each cracker. Sprinkle with additional salt, if desired, then bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Repeat with the remaining dough. I like to bake only 1 sheet at a time.
- Let cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
HELLO GEMMA I WANT TO BAKE THESE BUT DUE TO ARTHRITIS IN MY HANDS CAN I USE MY KITCHEN AID WITH DOUGH HOOK
you are so clever thankyou easy viewing
Is there away to store so they last longer? We would not eat all in one week
Hi Gemma, I love your recipes. Will White Whole Wheat flour work for the ritz and /or wheat crackers?
Hi Gemma, love your recipes. I was hoping you might be able to help. We are huge fans of Red Oval Farm’s Stoned Wheat Thin Crackers. They have been discontinued. They are different from other Wheat Thin Crackers, and I was wondering if there was any chance you would have a recipe that we could make ourselves OR if you would consider creating a recipe for them? It is a big ask I know but so many of our friends as well as family members are huge fans of these crackers! Thanks Gemma! We appreciate all you do, and we… Read more »
I think these need more sugar. Did you mean tablespoons instead of teaspoons? They ended up tasting like salty wheat, but I think some sweetness would give it that “honey wheat” flavor and round it out.
Also, it took a lot longer to bake these.than the recipe instructed. I think I baked them for closer to 12 minutes, turning the heat down after the first 8 so that the lower heat would crisp them up without burning them.
Hi Gemma, thanks for the receipe.
Do we use hand to mix or a machine ?
I love making crackers. I’m a fan of using lard. Would the amount be the same as butter? Looking forward to giving these a try