the last time i lived close to wilderness, i was 11. i had a patch of wood in my backyard. a small, trickling creek ran through it. wild turkeys, the size of vacuum cleaners, would often visit.
life whisked me away to more and more urban areas until life found me in the berkeley hills this winter. here, i once again remembered what it was to notice.
how to greet the bickering crows. how to spectate the scurrying squirrels. how to pay attention, in wonder.
at least once a week, too, i would walk down the street to ascend a steep, winding dirt trail above claremont canyon. what started as a simple hike became a stumbling prayer of gratitude.
i learned to recognize the wild rosemary bushes near the top. i began to visit often. when the bushes looked healthy and weren’t flowering, i would pick a few sprigs, taking home a piece of the mountain with me.
when the world gifts something as magical as fresh, wild rosemary, what else is there to do but to share something with the world in return? how do we show gratitude for gifts such as these?
this recipe is my offering. perhaps you, too, will pause when your hands run over the sprigs of rosemary, and when you smell it filling up the crevices of your home.
this ritual has become my small, delicious meditation on all the magic that grows from the earth. i hope it becomes yours too.
notes
i wasn’t planning on re-visiting sourdough crackers. i’ve already written two recipes.
yet i knew there were a few issues i needed to resolve: dryness, thickness, toughness of bite, blandness. this updated recipe addresses all these shortcomings with a wetter, more flavorful dough.
these sourdough rosemary crackers roll out into thin sheets more easily, and bake up more crisply. i am generous with the rosemary. they are pretty, they are aromatic, and they are delicious.
ingredients matter.
- i strongly encourage you to use fresh rosemary over dried, and flaky salt to top.
- i haven’t tried adding other herbs or spices, but i encourage experimentation!
- one exception: if you plan on adding seeds, nuts, or other chunkier toppings, i’d recommend adding it at the end, while rolling out the dough rather than mixing it in. revisit my everything cracker recipe for more details on this process.
lastly but not leastly, i have a stiff starter at 80% hydration. please do adjust the amount of flour if yours differs.
sourdough rosemary crackers
formula
- 1 cup unfed sourdough starter, 80% hydration (254 g)
- ¾ cup whole wheat flour (98 g)
- 4 tbsp olive oil (32 g)
- 4 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (12 g)
- 1½ tsp kosher salt (5 g)
- 1 tbsp-ish flaky sea salt (to top, to taste)
method
- combine starter, flour, oil, rosemary, and kosher salt together in a medium sized bowl. dough should be soft and pliable, not wet and sticky, nor dry and stiff.
- knead into a ball for 1-2 min. cover and let rest for at least 1 hr, up to overnight at room temperature. i usually let it rest for 4 hrs.
- preheat oven to 350°F. take out 2 baking sheets and set aside.
- generously flour your surface. i use wheat flour, but you can use whatever flour you have on hand.
- divide dough into 4 sections with a bench knife.
- take one section of the dough.
- as if you were rolling out pie crust or pasta, roll out each dough section into a thin, flat, rectangular piece. you want to roll out your crackers as thin as you can without the dough tearing when lifting. go as thin as you can go! flip over and rotate as needed to get an even thickness.
- place 2 flat dough pieces horizontally per baking sheet. i smoosh the edges together so they become one piece.
- top with flaky salt, to taste. i usually use a bit less than 1 tbsp to cover all 4 sections.
- using a knife or pizza cutter, cut dough into approx. 2" x 2" squares.
- bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle rack, or until crackers turn golden and are crispy. rotate halfway through if your oven heats unevenly. these can burn or overbake quite quickly so take care to check on them.
- crackers may firm up a bit once out of the oven. let cool on a cooling rack for at least 15 minutes before eating.
