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Homemade graham crackers on a marble countertop
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Homemade Graham Crackers

These graham crackers are named after the flour, not my husband, whose name is also Graham. Graham flour is a whole grain flour that’s more coarsely ground than regular whole wheat flour. It is what these childhood favorites were originally made with and gives them their classic flavor and texture.
Servings: 48 2-inch graham crackers
Author: Zoë François

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cups / 240g whole-wheat flour
  • 1/2 cup / 55g cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon optional
  • 1/2 cup / 100g lightly packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup / 110g unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup / 170g honey
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp water *see Baker's Notes

Instructions

  • In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the whole-wheat and cake flours, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using) on low speed. Add the brown sugar, butter, honey, vanilla, and water and mix on medium-low speed until just evenly combined and no flour remains.
  • Divide the dough into two equal pieces. Form each into a rectangle 1/2 inch / 1.3cm thick and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour or freeze for up to 1 month.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F / 175°C.
  • On a lightly floured silicone mat or piece of parchment paper**, roll each piece of the chilled dough into a 10 by 13-inch / 25 by 33cm rectangle, about 1⁄8 inch / 3mm thick or thinner***. Transfer the mat or parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
  • Use a pastry or pizza wheel to score the dough all the way through, cutting the crackers to whatever size you like, so that when they are baked and cooled, they easily break into neat graham crackers. Dock the dough with a fork all over to prevent it from puffing too much.****
  • Transfer the parchment paper or silicone mat with the dough to a baking sheet. Bake for about 15 to 18 minutes, or until the crackers are light, caramel-brown, and dry. The baking time very much depends on how thick you roll the dough, so check them a bit early. If the dough is not entirely even, some of the thinner crackers will bake faster and will need to be removed. You can continue baking the rest until they are all evenly baked.
  • Allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. Then break apart and store wrapped in an airtight container in a dry, cool place. If the crackers lose their snap, you can reheat them in a 350°F / 175°C oven for about 5 minutes.

Video

Notes

Baker's Notes
*I used less water in this recipe than you will find in the book. Both work, but having the dough slightly drier will make the dough less sticky, easier to roll and it will bake faster. If you use Graham flour, you may want to eliminate the water.
**Baking on a silicone mat will insulate the dough, so the crackers will take longer to bake and dry out. If you bake on parchment paper, be sure to watch for hot spots, so they bake evenly, and check them earlier since they will not be insulated from the heat of the oven.
***It is important to roll the dough very thin and evenly to get a crisp cracker. If the dough is not rolled evenly, the edges may darken faster than the center and bake unevenly. If the edges start to get too dark, cover them with a strip of foil, just like you would the edges of a pie crust. 
****If the dough puffs up and loses its scoring, repeat the cuts while the crackers are still hot from the oven, along the original lines. You can also repeat the docking with the fork. All of this needs to happen immediately before the crackers harden.
These graham crackers can be frozen. If they are getting soft, you can crisp them in a 325 degree F oven for about 5 minutes.