Crackers? Not Referring To A State of Mind

Crackers…..no, I’m not talking about the American alternative rock band named Crackers or occasionally my state of mind during a particularly challenging day. 

Raise your hand if you are guilty of hogging the bread sticks when they are brought to the table? Okay, I confess, I have both hands up.

You’ll be “crackers” over these crackers. Similar to bread sticks, these Italian crackers add just a touch of bread to any meal. They are great served before dinner with dipping sauce of olive oil & vinegar or marinara sauce, complemented by warmed olives, or with a dinner of soups or stews. Frankly, these are good anytime – ours didn’t last until dinner today due to taste testing and snacking while writing this post. 

Any flatbread recipe would work, or use up extra pizza dough that didn’t make it into a pizza. Roll the dough very thin when making the crackers. At a class in Bologna, the Italian instructor said, roll out until you can see the church across the street through the dough.  

Brush with olive oil and generously sprinkle herbs of your choice. Cook on pizza stone or cookie sheet on high heat (400 degrees) until browned and crispy.  

Cool and break into large cracker pieces. I barely had the pictures taken before these were devoured.

And if you have a loaf of bread you don’t know what to do with……

When I made bread this week, I had a mini-loaf of bread leftover so I sliced it thin, toasted and buttered it.  These bread toasts were crispy with just the right amount of flavor. Great with salad, soup, stew. Okay, I admit they pair nicely with just about any meal and can be used as an appetizer topped with olive tapenade, roasted peppers and feta, etc., etc.

I love finding ways to repurpose foods in untraditional ways. These are just a few examples.