SEA SALT AND PEPPER CRACKERS

Sea Salt and Pepper Crackers image

These rich, clean-tasting crackers showcase the complexity of coarse sea salt, along with gentle heat from the black pepper. They go beautifully with the soup, simply dipped in or crumbled right on top.

Provided by Melissa Roberts

Yield Makes about 32 crackers

Number Of Ingredients 6

Ingredients

Olive oil for brushing pan and dough
1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
6 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening (preferably trans-fat-free), cut into bits
1/2 to 2/3 cup very cold water
1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, such as Maldon, or kosher salt

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375°F with racks in upper and lower thirds. Brush 2 large baking sheets generously with oil.
Toast 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper in a dry small skillet (not nonstick) over medium heat, shaking skillet occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Cool pepper.
Whisk together flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon table salt in a bowl (or pulse in a food processor). Add shortening and blend into flour mixture with a pastry blender or your fingertips (or pulse in processor) until most of mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps. Drizzle evenly with 1/2 cup ice water and gently stir with a fork (or pulse) until incorporated.
Squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together, add more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) until incorporated, then test again.
Divide dough into 2 portions and flatten each into a 3-inch square.
Roll out each square on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 20- by 8-inch rectangle. Trim edges and sprinkle each sheet with teaspoon toasted pepper. Run rolling pin lightly over dough to embed pepper in pastry. Brush each sheet with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sprinkle each with 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
Cut sheets crosswise with a small sharp knife into 1-inch-wide strips (straight or wavy). Arrange strips evenly spaced in 1 layer on baking sheets and bake, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until golden, 16 to 20 minutes total. Transfer to racks to cool.