Homemade Graham Crackers

Instructions

In a food processor, combine the flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cloves, and cardamom and pulse just until combined.

Scatter the butter over the flour mixture and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal, about 20 short pulses.

Dump the flour mixture into a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, honey, and vanilla until the honey dissolves. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a ball.

Knead the ball a few times. Divide the ball into 2 portions, flatten each portion into a rectangle 1/4-inch (6 millimeters) thick, and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats.

Take 1 rectangle dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for 5 minutes. It will be sorta sticky. Place the dough on a well-floured work surface or between a couple large sheets of parchment paper to prevent sticking. Gently roll the dough to 1/16 inch (2 millimeters) thickness. (Seriously. You want the dough as thin as you can manage. It may take a little time and patience, but just keep rolling and easing it on down to at least 1/8 inch 3 mm) thickness. Add more flour to the work surface to prevent sticking, if necessary.

Using a pastry wheel, cut the dough into 2-by-3-inch (5-by-7 1/2-centimeter) rectangles. Rewrap and chill any remaining scraps for 30 minutes before rerolling. Transfer the rectangles to a baking sheet and prick them a few times with a fork. Sprinkle the tops with some of the sugar.

Bake the graham crackers until crisp and just starting to brown around the edges, 15 to 25 minutes (the timing will depend on how thin you rolled the dough), rotating the pan back to front at the halfway point.

Immediately remove the crackers from the baking sheet and place them on a wire rack to cool completely. While the first batch of crackers is baking, repeat the rolling and cutting process with the second rectangle of dough and then with the scraps, and then bake when the first batch is cooling. You can store the crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks.

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