Homemade graham crackers a la Zingerman’s
There is something about stormy weather that cries out for baking. All the rain and pentup energy —or the kids’ pentup energy rubbing off on everyone else — makes kitchen projects appealing. Plus the treat at the end is sure to brighten any soggy mood.
These days, Zingerman’s is known from coast to coast, famed for its Reuben sandwiches, baked treats, gourmet mail-order business and the recent “Zingerman’s Bakehouse” cookbook. Co-author and coowner Amy Emberling was one of the original bakers when Zingerman’s Bakehouse opened in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1992, and the graham cracker recipe featured in her cookbook has
delighted youngsters and s’mores lovers for nearly two decades.
“We went through a period of nostalgia in the pastry kitchen, making flavorful versions of our childhood favorites,” Emberling explains. “This graham cracker recipe is from that period. Our tastes have changed since childhood, so we made an adult version that is quite gingery.”
Emberling uses a few pro tips to ensure graham cracker success. “These take a little elbow grease to make, so you’ll want them to taste fantastic,” she says. “Use the most flavorful ingredients you can find.”
That includes everything from the sweet cream butter (look for one with the most flavor and highest fat content) to fresh spices. As for the brown sugar, “Use muscovado brown sugar. It’s much more flavorful and you’ll taste the difference.”
Other pro tips: “Mix the dough several hours before you want to roll it. This will give the whole-wheat flour time to become entirely hydrated, and the cookies will be easier to roll out.”
Zingerman’s Graham Crackers
Makes 24
INGREDIENTS
1cup unsalted butter, room temperature ½ cup plus 1tablespoon granulated sugar ½ cup plus 2tablespoons packed brown sugar
1large egg
1 tablespoon honey
2¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
DIRECTIONS
Using a stand mixer or wooden spoon and mixing bowl, combine the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating to cream the mixture well. Add the egg and honey, and beat until light and creamy.
In a separate bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking soda, cinnamon and ginger until evenly combined. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed mixture and stir until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
Scrape the dough onto an unfloured work surface and knead it for a minute or two, until it is well mixed and holds together. Divide the dough into quarters. Form each piece into a 6-by-8-inch rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap and chill the dough in the refrigerator for at least 30minutes or up to a week.
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator. Firmly tap the wrapped dough with a rolling pin to make it more flexible. Flour your work surface. Unwrap one block of dough at a time and roll it out into an 8-by-12-inch rectangle, about 1⁄8-inch thick, moving the dough from time to time to ensure that it’s not sticking to the work surface.
Trim off any uneven edges to make nice straight sides. Use a fork to mark the dough in an organized pattern to give it that characteristic look of graham crackers. Then mark the dough every 4inches across the top, bottom and sides. Using a ruler and pizza cutter, connect the marks to divide the dough into 4-inch squares. Using a paring knife, lightly score each square down the middle with a line from top to bottom. Use a spatula to transfer the squares to the prepared baking sheet, leaving ½ inch between the squares. Bake the graham crackers for 10minutes, until the edges are slightly browned and the dough has puffed up and set.
While the first batch of crackers is baking, prepare the next piece of dough. Repeat until all the crackers have been baked. These will keep for several weeks when stored in an airtight container.
— From “Zingerman’s Bakehouse” by Amy Emberling
and Frank Carollo (Chronicle Books, 2017)