Hearty Crackers (Recipe)

The humble cracker has always been something I've overlooked when it comes to home baking. I guess I never really thought twice about them because I've never had a store-bought cracker that was delicious enough to be noteworthy. I recently visited a restaurant that served the most amazing crackers. They were hearty, sturdy but slightly crumbly with a very nutty taste. They were thick, dark and served with smoked trout, pickled eggs and braised beets. I wanted to eat that every day for the next two months. This recipe is my rendition of those crackers.

Here's what you'll need:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup wheat bran
1/4 cup ground flax seeds
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1/2 cup whey or water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1 heaping tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 tsp. salt

Here's what you'll do:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, add all the dry ingredients: all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, wheat bran, flax seeds, sesame seeds, granulated sugar, dark brown sugar and salt.
- Using the paddle attachment, mix until incorporated (about 30 seconds).
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter piece by piece until well incorporated and crumbly (about 2 minutes).
- With the mixer still on medium speed, slowly pour in the oil, then the whey or water until the dough comes together (similar to pie crust).
- Remove the dough from the bowl, hand shape it into two balls, cover each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees for at least 20 minutes.
- Take one ball, unwrap from plastic, and roll directly on a cookie sheet lined with a silicone mat until about 1/8 inch thick. (I roll it with the piece of plastic on top of the dough to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin).
- Remove plastic, then using a knife or pizza cutter, cut flattened dough into 2-inch squares or rectangles. No need to pull them apart; that can be done after baking.
- Sprinkle with flake salt if desired.
- Bake for 11-12 minutes, turn the cookie sheet around, then bake for another 11-12 minutes until the edges are very dark brown.
- Slide crackers onto a cooling rack, let cool for at least 20 minutes, then break the crackers apart.
- Repeat with the 2nd ball of dough.
- Store in a plastic baggie or air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.