Roll Out The Crackers!

Makeup Day 5: If you agree with me that homemade bread beats store-bought by a country mile, you should try homemade crackers! They're rather a bit of a bother to make, given the yield and the fact that they disappear all too quickly, but well worth the work for an occasional indulgence. My favourite recipe comes from a book titled appropriately, "Crackers!" which is now out of print. The nutty flavour of millet flour gives these crackers their character, and a sprinkling of whole millet provides texture and crunch as well as serving as an indicator to tell you when you've rolled them out to the proper thickness.

You will need
1/4 cup of whole millet
1/2 cup millet flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup shortening
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp. milk
1 Tbsp. honey

Preheat the oven to 350°. Stir the flours, whole millet and salt together in a large bowl. Cut in the shortening until the mixture is the texture of coarse meal. Warm the milk and honey in a small saucepan and add it to the flour mixture. Stir with a fork until the dough holds together in a ball. Give it a few quick kneads by hand, but don't overdo it or you will toughen the dough.

Divide the dough into two parts. Roll each part out on a floured surface and cut into shapes or squares. You will know when you've rolled them out thinly enough because you'll begin hearing grains of millet crack beneath your rolling pin. Ideally, they should be only as thick as one grain of millet. Place the crackers on a parchment-lined baking sheet and prick each one three or four times.

Baking times can be variable. "Crackers!" says to cook them 10 minutes on each side, but I have found this browns them too much. I give them 8-9 minutes before turning them, and then 7-8 minutes on the second side. Watch them carefully and adjust the time for your own oven. Cool, and serve with a lavish application of real butter.