The Baker Chick

Baking up a delicious life.

Homemade Wheat Thins

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IMG_74671I consider myself a pretty productive person. I like to get up early, get things done, and then get even more things done. Now don’t get my wrong, I can have lazy days like everyone else, but I usually try to get things moving right off the bat. But…. then there was yesterday. I had the strangest craving for Wheat Thins and cheese sandwiches.  For some reason I just had to have that crispy salty and slightly sweet cracker that I couldn’t get off my brain.

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So- I went to my corner bodega thinking they must have some and of course they didn’t. So- I had two options. 1- Walk a few blocks to the closest grocery store and buy some or 2- Go back upstairs and figure out a way to make them myself. So yes– I am so lazy that I would rather make my own Wheat Thins than walk a few blocks to buy them. Lazy but also kinda not right?

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I have got to say that these were so worth it, and also so easy, that I don’t see why I would ever buy them again. Wheat Thins have such a specific flavor and I was skeptical that these would taste as good, but they really do.  The dough comes together in minutes, they are baked and cooled in just a few more. Before you know it, you may find yourself eating a stack of these in front of the TV watching this week’s Bachelorette. (Or maybe that’s just me?)

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Homemade Wheat Thins
 
Ingredients
  • 1¼ cups (5 oz) whole wheat flour (I used whole wheat pastry flour)
  • 1½ tablespoons sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt, plus extra for topping
  • ¼ teaspoon paprika
  • 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
  2. Add the flour, sugar, salt and paprika to a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Cut the butter into small pieces and add it to the bowl. Then, using a pastry blender, two knives, (or your hands,) mix the butter into the dry ingredients until it is coarse and crumbly. Combine the water and vanilla in a small measuring cup. Add to the butter/flour mixture and mix until a smooth dough forms. If your dough is still dry, add a little more water.
  3. Divide the dough into 4 pieces. Work with one piece at a time, keeping the others covered with a towel so they don't dry out. Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin and roll the dough into a large rectangle. Lift the dough and turn it as you roll to ensure it's not sticking. You want to roll the dough as thin as possible, try to make sure it's 1/16-inch thick at most. If you want all of your crackers to be perfect, trim the edges of the dough so you have a rectangle with even sides. Use a pizza cutter to cut the rectangle into squares about 1 to 1½ inches wide.
  4. Transfer the dough squares to the prepared baking sheets. You don't need to leave much space in between the crackers - they don't spread at all in the oven. Sprinkle the squares lightly with salt. Repeat the rolling and cutting process with the remaining 3 pieces of dough. Save all of your scraps under the towel; reroll them all at once to create a final batch of crackers.
  5. Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time, until crisp and browned, about 5-8 minutes. Check the crackers at 5 minutes, and if some of the thinner ones are browning too quickly, remove them to a plate and return the remaining crackers to the oven to finish baking. They can burn quickly- so keep a close eye on them! Once brown and crisp, transfer to a plate to cool. Store the crackers in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures via the King Arthur’s Flour Cookbook

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Comments

  1. I eat wheat thins every single day! I love them to death, so I feel like this post was juuuust for me! haha

    Reply

  7. I love eating wheat thins. I don’t buy them often, but when I have them in the house, I can’t stop eating them. It’s a good thing I know about this recipe…but then again, it might also be a bad thing…

    Reply

  8. Honestly, wheat thins is my ultimate weakness when it comes to snacking. I buy the huge boxes from Costco and I can finish them in a couple of days. It’s so bad. But now I get to make them at home, save money, and eat even more since homemade is always healthier, right? :)

    Reply

  14. The best recipes I’ve ever tasted, thank you sooooo. . . very much for posting online. I make my own crackers and snackage for traveling and I’m taking these.

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  15. I’ve been making ‘wheat thin’ crackers for some time now. Just a few tips I can share, not that your recipe isn’t fantastic!! If you leave the dough in the refrigerator overnight it makes for more flavorful crackers. (Let rise to room temp before rolling out.) Garlic powder adds a lot too. When you cut the crackers you don’t have to separate them, just roll them out directly on the parchment paper or baking stone and cut them with the pizza cutter. No moving required, they will bake individually or brake apart in squares no problem. Lastly, if your oven is cooking the outer crackers too fast, after 5 to 8 minutes, turn the oven off. Do not open the door and let them finish baking/cooling for 20 minutes.

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  18. Does anyone have any idea how I could add ‘ranch’ flavor to these? I used to buy the Keebler’s Ranch Wheatables years ago but they don’t make them anymore. Thanks.

    Reply

  20. I just tried these with my 6 year old. They’re so good! We can’t wait to bring them to tomorrow’s picnic. Thanks so much for sharing this!

    Reply

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