Me and cookbooks, we don’t tend to get along too much. Until now.
Today’s fabulous recipe comes from my new favorite cookbook! I was so excited about these delicious crackers, that the author gave me special permission to post her recipe here on my blog for all of you to enjoy! Get excited folks.
The cookbook is called
The Nourished Kitchen:
Farm to Table recipes for the Traditional Foods Lifestyle
and it is
AMAZING.
I actually gasped when I saw that this cookbook was divided into these chapters…
- chapter 1: from the garden
- chapter 2: from the pasture
- chapter 3: from the range
- chapter 4: from the waters
- chapter 5: from the fields
- chapter 6: from the wild
- chapter 7: from the orchard
- chapter 8: from the larder
Gasped, you guys! Just look at this amazing cover…
I’ve known the author, Jenny McGruther, for quite a while. She has a blog called Nourished Kitchen, and her blog is my #1 bookmarked site for traditional yet elegant recipes. Jenny has a way of transforming something simple into something divine!
I’ve always been a simple, comfort foods kind of gal, but with Jenny’s recipes, I feel like I’ve reached out of my comfort zone and found my home. It’s a lost art, cooking traditional food, and yet Jenny masters it while making it simple for everybody!
I’ve always loved Salmon, but I didn’t realize how amazing it could taste until I made Salmon baked in Cream with Sweet Bay, Thyme, & Dill from The Nourished Kitchen cookbook. I’ve always gobbled up steamed carrots, but I didn’t realized the foods that paired so well with carrots until I made Maple-glazed Root Vegetables with Orange & Thyme. Jenny has a talent for paring simple herbs with traditional real food to bring together a complete, nourishing meal.
Before I get to the recipe, listen up…
For this week only, Jenny is hosting a Virtual Dinner Party, and you are all invited! Each day this week, a blogger is featuring one of Jenny’s recipes!
- From the Kitchen Garden is hosted by Diana of My Humble Kitchen
- From the Pasture is hosted by Kresha of Nourishing Joy
- From the Range is hosted by Jill from The Prairie Homestead
- From the Waters is hosted by Kimi from The Nourishing Gourmet
- From the Fields is hosted by Me!
- From the Wild is hosted by Aubrey of Home Grown and Healthy
- From the Orchard is hosted by Katie from Kitchen Stewardship
- From the Larder is hosted by Tamara and Kelly from Oh Lardy
Click here to purchase The Nourished Kitchen Cookbook!
And now… on to the recipe!
Just try Jenny’s Yogurt & Dill Crackers. Just try them. Trust me! The yogurt helps prepare the grain properly by breaking down the phytic acid and anti-nutrients found in grains. The dill just ties all the flavors together. It’s genius. Traditional food made simple.
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour , plus more for working the dough
- 1/2 teaspoon finely ground unrefined sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried dill
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter , 4 tablespoons at room temperature, 2 tablespoons melted
- 1/2 cup yogurt
Instructions
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Put the flour into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the salt and dill. Beat in the 4 tablespoons of room‑temperature butter until the flour resembles cornmeal in texture. Beat in the yogurt until the mixture forms a thick dough. Cover the bowl tightly and allow it to rest in a warm place in your kitchen for at least 8 and up to 12 hours.
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Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
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Divide the dough into four portions. Flour your work surface and roll out each piece of dough to an even 1/16-inch thickness, then use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Place the squares on the prepared baking sheets, spacing them about 1/2 inch apart.
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Brush the squares with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter and prick them with the tines of a fork to prevent them from puffing as they bake. Bake for 6 to 8 minutes, until the crackers are just tinged with gold around their edges. Pull them from the oven and cool them on a wire rack. Store the crackers in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.
Recipe Notes
Reprinted with permission from The Nourished Kitchen by Jennifer McGruther, (c) 2014.
Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc.
Photography (c) 2014 by Jennifer McGruther
This may be a silly question, but the yogurt doesn’t cause the dough to “go bad” being left in a warm place for 8-12 hours? Thanks!
No, it doesn’t:)
Is there any way I could use whole wheat flour, or a combination of whole wheat and bread or all-purpose flour? Definitely don’t have whole wheat pastry flour on hand, but these look too lovely not to try.
Sure, that would work fine Megan!
I just wanted to say that I was genuinely looking forward to this recipe and am pretty disappointed in it :(. I always crave flaky, buttery cracker type things when I’m pregnant (anyone remember the definitely not real food spiced holiday oyster crackers from the 90s?). I was hoping this would fulfill the craving. I have to say that 1) the picture on this recipe blog was clearly not made with whole wheat flour. I have been baking with white wheat, whole wheat, whole pastry, etc for years, and never have I seen anything that looks that light coloured and flaky made with whole wheat flour. 2) My crackers taste good, but they are heavy and taste more like soaked whole wheat (whole wheat with that slightly bitter aftertaste I notice when soaking in yogurt or whey) than butter. I used copious amounts of butter (not cheap) and dill in this recipe, and they really just taste like soaked biscuits. Yummy, but not at all what I was craving. I think I will save crackers for a very occasional white flour indulgence, because I haven’t come across a soaked or sprouted recipe yet that really makes the cut.
So, what kind of yogurt are we talking here?
Just plain yogurt would do. It can be homemade or store bought.
You think Greek plain would work?
Sure!
I just bought this cookbook & it is fabulous !!! I am looking forward to using the recipes.
Looks fabulous! I am new to gluten free foods, however, and I wonder if I could substitute gluten free flour in this recipe, in the same proportions?
I’m not sure about that. I’m not that familiar with gluten-free flour blends:) Try it out and let us know how it works!
I’m not sure about that. I wish I could say yes, but I’m not an expert with gluten-free flours.
Hi Danelle, this is such a great recipe that I have to try this asap for my children. I have a question though, can we replace the dill with other herbs? I don’t think I will find dried dill here in my country.
Absolutely!
Sure!