I was at the store when I decided to make these. Standing in the cracker aisle looking at all of the options I had of crackers for a charcuterie board I am making when it dawned on me to make my own. I have a surplus of fresh thyme at home right now and a block of amazing aged white cheddar and what better way to use them then making homemade 5 ingredient cheddar thyme crackers.
These came out unbelievably delicious that I actually had to stop myself from eating all of them…
This is such a simple recipe and only requires 5 ingredients to make. It honestly is ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen. You can interchange the herb and cheese part so easily with what you have on hand. I would really encourage you to make these next time you are looking to make a charcuterie board or something to enjoy with friends over a glass of wine.
Oh! and I should probably mention how incredible they smell when you bake them in the oven. I pre made the crackers earlier in the morning, then decided to just slice and pop them in the oven late last night while I finished up some work. Then after about 5 minutes the whole house started to smell like warm cheesy crackers. It was insane. I did not expect them so smell so delicious.
I fully intended on taste testing only one and then putting the rest away to enjoy later with a charcuterie board but after just one bite I knew it was going to be tough to not eat more. They taste almost like a homemade cheez-it. When fresh out of the oven the cheese is still sort of melthy and crisp at the same time. As they cool down they start to set and really get this awesome snap to them.
I pre made the dough for these earlier in the day since I knew they would have to rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before baking. It’s a simple butter, cheese, thyme, flour mixture with just a pinch of salt and that’s it! You simply combine these in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or with a bowl and a wooden spoon) until just incorporated, then you dump the dough on a cold surface to finish.
You want to roll it into a log as even as possible. The diameter of the log will determine how big you want your crackers and how many. I knew I wanted a lot of tiny crackers so I made mine about 8 inches long and about 2 inches in diameter. Then you wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge.
After the dough rests for at least 30 minutes in the fridge, you take it out, preheat the oven to 350 and bake for 22 minutes. They turn out perfect every time!
I think the next time I make these, I may double batch it and save the other half to have on hand at any moment. That way, if I’m having a wine night with friends or in need of a snack, I am just 22 minutes away from delicious crackers. You can makes these up to four days in advance and leave in the fridge until ready to bake, or you can store the dough in the freezer for a few weeks. They may be super simple but they are definitely not lacking in flavor!
homemade 5 ingredient cheddar thyme crackers
Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 4 oz aged white cheddar
- 1 tsp minced thyme (fresh)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour (plus more for dusting)
- water as needed
Instructions
- Start by making the cracker dough. Cream the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. If you aren’t using a stand mixer, wait until the butter has softened an use a wooden spoon to mix.
- Next, add in the white cheddar, thyme, salt and mix until incorporated. Then add the flour and mix until the dough is almost forming. You will know when you can press the crumbles together and they stick. If your dough is too dry, add 1 teaspoon of water until it starts to incorporate.
- Dust a cold surface to work on and dump out all of the dough. Press it together until you have a ball and start to roll it into a log. Depending on the size of your log will determine how many crackers you make. I made mine into an 8 inch log.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, up to four days.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Take the dough out and slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake the crackers until golden and crisp. About 22 minutes.