BLUE
GINGER CRACKER DOUGH
At the
restaurant, we get tons of requests for this recipe, which is the basis
of our
much-loved house crackers. But this easily made,
garlic- and spice-spiked dough also
produces great scallion pancakes and other treats,
depending on how the dough is rolled and what’s added to it. It also
keeps beautifully: Freeze it in quarter- or
half-pound quantities in airtight plastic bags, defrost
it at room temperature, and you can fix the kind of baked specialties
that make a meal.
You
can make the dough by hand if you like, but it’s way easier to use a
standard mixer with a dough hook.
Makes about
4 pounds of dough
Lasts about
1 week, tightly wrapped and refrigerated, 3 to 4 weeks frozen
-
1
tablespoon cumin seeds
-
1
tablespoon coriander seeds
-
1
tablespoon fennel seeds
-
1
teaspoon black peppercorns
-
1/2
ounce (2 packages) active dry yeast
-
6 1/2
cups bread flour
-
1 cup
extra-virgin olive oil
-
2
tablespoons minced garlic
-
2
tablespoons kosher salt
1.
Using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, grind the cumin,
coriander, fennel, and peppercorns and
combine them in a medium bowl. Set aside.
2. In
a 5-quart mixer bowl, or very large bowl if working by hand, combine in
this order the yeast, 2 1/2 cups cold
water, the flour, oil, garlic, and salt. Using a dough hook,
mix at low speed until the flour’s gluten is fully developed and the
dough is smooth and doesn’t tear easily
when stretched, about 15 minutes. Remove the dough
from the machine and knead in the spices. If working by hand, combine
the yeast, flour, oil, and salt and mound the
mixture on a work surface. With your fingers,
make a well in the mixture. Add 2 1/2 cups cold water to the well and,
working with a pastry scraper or large
fork, gradually incorporate the flour into the water,
as if you were making fresh pasta. Work the dough into a rough ball and
then knead in the garlic and the spice mixture.
Continue to knead until the dough becomes
smooth, 10 to 12 minutes.
3.
Cover the dough with plastic wrap. If using immediately, allow the dough
to rise in a warm place until doubled in
bulk, about 1 hour. Otherwise, refrigerate or freeze
until ready to use.
