Homemade Crackers

As Mark Bittman (author of How To Cook Everything) says, "it's ridiculously easy to make your own crackers." This is his recipe, which I have made about 5-6 times now with slight variations. Who wants to spend $3.00 for a box of crackers you can make with flour, butter, salt, and water in about 15 mintues? Be creative with the toppings. Add sesame seeds, poppy seeds, caraway seeds, whatever you have on hand. Brush on a little garlic butter, Italian seasoning, all of the above, etc. . . . use your imagination!

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbs. butter
1/4 cup water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Whisk together flour and salt. Use your hands or a pastry blender to cut in butter until it resembles coarse meal. (Or pulse in a food processor).

Add water and stir with a wooden spoon until mixture holds together but is not sticky. Knead slightly in bowl and add 1 - 2 tbs. more water if needed. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, pat into a ball and knead several times until smooth. Do not worry about overworking the dough. Roll, roll, roll that dough out until it is as thin as you like. Place onto a baking sheet. Use a knife to score into desired shapes before baking (squares, triangles, rectangles, whatever). Shake on salt or other desired toppings. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until lightly browned.