Homemade Cheese Crackers with String Cheese or Cheese Cubes Recipe

<ul class="ingredients-main-list"><li class="ingredients-single-item">120g all-purpose flour</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">60g cold unsalted butter, cubed</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">100g sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/4 tsp garlic powder</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/4 tsp onion powder</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/4 tsp paprika</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">1/2 tsp salt, plus extra for sprinkling</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">3-4 tbsp ice-cold water</li><li class="ingredients-single-item">240g string cheese sticks or cheese cubes (cheddar, gouda, or mozzarella)</li></ul>

<ul class="equipment-main-list"><li class="equipment-single-item">Food processor (or pastry cutter)</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Rolling pin</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Baking sheet</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Parchment paper</li><li class="equipment-single-item">Pastry wheel or sharp knife</li></ul>

<ol class="no-list-style"><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 1</h4>Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. This preparation ensures your crackers will bake evenly and won't stick to the pan.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 2</h4>In a food processor, combine the flour, cold cubed butter, grated cheese, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and salt. Pulse in short bursts until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. The cold butter creates small pockets in the dough that will later create flaky layers in your crackers.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 3</h4>With the food processor running, add ice-cold water one tablespoon at a time just until the dough comes together into a ball. Be careful not to add too much water - the dough should be cohesive but not sticky. Cold water helps keep the butter from melting, which is essential for creating that perfect flaky texture.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 4</h4>Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead just a few times to bring it together. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. This resting period allows the gluten to relax and the butter to firm up, making the dough easier to roll out.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 5</h4>Remove the chilled dough and place it between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the dough out to about 3mm (⅛ inch) thickness, maintaining an even thickness throughout. Too thick and your crackers won't crisp properly; too thin and they'll burn quickly.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 6</h4>Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough into 5cm (2-inch) squares or your preferred cracker shape. Transfer the crackers to the prepared baking sheet, leaving about 1cm between each. Prick each cracker a few times with a fork to prevent them from puffing up too much during baking.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 7</h4>Lightly sprinkle the tops with additional salt if desired. Bake in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the centers are firm. Watch carefully in the last few minutes as they can go from perfectly golden to overdone quite quickly!</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 8</h4>Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on the baking sheet. The crackers will continue to crisp up as they cool. If any crackers are still soft after cooling, you can return them to the oven for 1-2 minutes more.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 9</h4>While the crackers cool, prepare your cheese. If using string cheese, you can leave the sticks whole or cut them into bite-sized pieces. For cheese cubes, cut your preferred cheese into 2cm cubes, or purchase pre-cubed cheese.</li><li class="MethodStepper"><h4 class="step-title">Step 10</h4>Serve the cooled crackers with string cheese or cheese cubes. For best results, bring the cheese to room temperature about 20 minutes before serving to enhance its flavor and texture. Store any leftover crackers in an airtight container for up to 1 week.</li></ol>