You say what? Lavosh crackers are a traditional unleavened bread, or otherwise known as Armenian Flat Bread. Lavosh is pronounced LAH-voshe. These crackers are super thin, super easy to make, and super addictive. My daughter and I have been snacking on them all afternoon. You can make them with any sort of topping you like, but traditionally they are topped with sesame seeds, sea salt or cracked pepper. A few other ways I might try it next time is with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh garlic, flax seeds or sprinkled with a few poppy seeds.
In bakeries these are typically served in 6-8 inch rounds. Since we are making them into crackers we can roll them out into any shape we wish, because we will break them into medium sized pieces when cooled.
A couple tricks, first is to bake them on the back side of a baking sheet. (Just make sure it is good and clean before using it. Sometimes the bottoms of pans get a little grimy!) Spray the baking sheet with cooking spray, and roll the dough out right directly on the pan. That way we don’t have to deal with dough falling apart, sticking to a rolling pin, or not transferring to the pan well. Super great trick for making any sort of cracker, especially gluten free ones. I promise you this recipe is a cinch to make, so give it a try, you won’t be disappointed!
1/2 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3 Tbsp. butter or dairy free margarine, melted
1 whole egg
1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp. water
Topping:
1 egg white with 1 tsp. water for wash
sesame seeds, cracked pepper, sea salt, flax seeds, grated Parmesan cheese and fresh garlic, dill seeds, or poppy seeds.
We will make 3 cracker flats, so you can choose one topping per flat.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, xanthan gum, salt and sugar. Mix together to combine. Add egg and melted butter and 1/2 cup water. Mix with wooden spoon until all ingredients are combined. Dough should be really thick. Add 1 Tbsp. extra water and finish mixing dough. With well floured hands knead dough until you can form 3 smooth balls of dough. If the dough sticks add more flour to your hands.
Turn clean baking sheet over and spray the back side with cooking spray. Place one ball of dough in center of pan and with a floured rolling pin, gently roll out dough into a very thin layer. Using a well-floured rolling pin, the dough should not stick when rolled out. If needed, add flour to prevent sticking.
Prick dough several times with a fork. Mix together egg white with water and mix well. Baste the top of the dough with egg white. Sprinkle with the topping of choice.
Bake on the upper rack of the oven for 12-14 minutes or until edges begin to brown and center looks cooked. Allow to rest on pan for 1-2 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
Break into medium pieces and serve or store in an airtight container or ziploc bag.
These crackers can be eaten alone, or served with cheese and fruit, or served with soup.
©Rachel Carlyle Edington 2013
