buttermilk biscuit crackers
These crackers are like biscuits in the following ways: they require minimal dough-working to achieve flaky layers, go great with pimento cheese and honey butter, and are best eaten the same day you make them. This is kind of like two recipes in one - the first bake yields a crispy-tender, biscuit-flavored flatbread, but if you continue to the second bake you end up with crunchy delicious crackers. Both are valid life choices and only you know which one speaks to your soul!
yield 4 servings
175 g (6.25 oz, or 1 cup plus 6 tablespoons) all purpose or pastry flour, plus more
1/2 ts diamond crystal kosher salt (1/4 ts if morton’s)
1 ts sugar
5 T chilled butter, cut into small cubes
1/2 cup plus 2 T buttermilk
1 egg, beaten
sesame seeds for sprinkling (optional)
flaky salt, like Maldon, for sprinkling
recipe prep
Whisk flour, salt and sugar together in a medium bowl. Add chilled butter to the bowl and toss in flour to coat. Working quickly, rub the butter pieces between your fingers to flatten and break them up until the mixture looks like cornmeal with some larger chunks. Using a fork or spatula, mix in buttermilk until JUST barely mixed. Turn dough out onto a cutting board or clean surface and knead 1-2 times just to incorporate any remaining bits. It will look uneven but resist the urge to fuss and over-handle it. Form a disk, sprinkle with a little flour and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 24 hours.
Preheat oven to 350F. Cut a sheet of parchment to fit a large baking sheet (or use a silpat). Roll the dough out directly on the parchment (on the counter), sprinkling with a little flour as needed to avoid sticking. Roll the dough out as thin as possible to cover all available space (it will stretch, I promise!). Prick all over with a fork and brush all over with egg wash (just the beaten egg) and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using, and flaky salt. Transfer parchment to baking sheet and stick it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes (fridge is fine if you can’t fit it in there!).
Remove from freezer and bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown in spots (check on it halfway through - this will vary a little more if you were very good at thinly rolling the dough). Remove from oven and let cool enough to handle (you could honestly stop here and have a delicious flaky flatbread situation). Tear bread into cracker shards (or cut them if that’s too chaotic for you) and return to oven (you may need to do this in batches) for 5-10 minutes until everything is golden and crispy! Let cool a little on a wire rack (they will continue to crisp up) and serve with cheese, dip, honey butter or honestly on their own.
do it ahead These taste best when eaten the same day you bake them, but the dough can be made up to 2 days ahead and kept in the fridge.
toppings This recipe keeps everything super classic so the biscuit flavor shines through, but some cracked black pepper or everything bagel spice wouldn’t be bad here. Maybe some za’atar or a light dust of grated parm.
leftovers Store any leftover crackers in an airtight container at room temperature and eat within a day or two.
