February 2013 Daring Bakers Challenge - Crispy Flatbread

Sarah from All Our Fingers in the Pie was our February 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she challenges
us to use our creativity in making our own Crisp Flatbreads and Crackers!

This challenge was right up my alley. I wanted a quick and easy challenge that I could go to the pantry and find all the ingredients that I needed. I chose the Raincoast Crisps from the several recipes that Sarah provided and I was not disappointed. The recipe was easy to prepare.  I halved the recipe because 8 dozen sounded like a lot of crisps. I varied some of the ingredients and put those variations in blue parentheses next to Sarah's original version.  I used a wonderful honey from my friend, Dave, at Paradox Farm.

The crisps were not quite a cracker although they were crisp and not quite a bread although they had a little chew to them. They were quite a hit with the family! Some of the family smeared them with peanut butter, some topped with a little cheese slice but I adorned mine with a glass of red wine :).
 We went on vacation to the Florida Keys and I took all the leftover(the recipe made a lot)  crisps with us for snacking en route. I had a few left when we arrived and finished them off in the backyard garden of our rented villa with that glass of wine... a great way to start a vaction.

Here is the recipe. The crisps are a tasty and nutritious treat. I think you will like them.



Raincoast Crisps
From Dinner with Julie blog with Julie van Rosendahl
Servings: About 8 dozen
Ingredients
2 cups (480 ml) (280 gm) (10 oz) all-purpose (plain) flour
2 teaspoons (10 ml) (10 gm) (1/3 oz) baking soda
1/2 teaspoon (2½ ml) (3 gm) salt
2 cups (480 ml) buttermilk
1/4 cup (60 ml) (50 gm) (1¾ oz) brown sugar, firmly
packed
1/4 cup (60 ml) honey
1 cup (240 ml) (180 gm) (6½ oz) raisins
1/2 cup (120 ml) (60 gm) (2 oz) chopped pecans (walnuts)
1/2 cup (120 ml) (125 gm) (4½ oz) roasted pumpkin seeds (chopped dates)
1/4 cup (60 ml) (30 gm) (1 oz) sesame seeds
1/4 cup (60 ml) (30 gm) (1 oz) flax seed, ground ( I did not use this)
1 tablespoon (15 ml) (2 gm) finely chopped fresh rosemary  (roasted sunflower seeds)

 Directions
Preheat oven to moderate 350°F/180°C/gas mark 4.
In a large bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add the buttermilk, brown sugar and
honey and stir a few strokes. Add the raisins, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seed and
rosemary and stir just until blended.
Pour the batter into two 8”x4” (20cmx10cm) loaf pans that have been sprayed with nonstick spray.
Bake for about 45 minutes, until golden and springy to the touch. Remove from the pans and cool on
a wire rack.
The cooler the bread, the easier it is to slice really thin. You can leave it until the next day or pop it in
the freezer. Slice the loaves as thin as you can and place the slices in a single layer on an ungreased
cookie sheet. Slice so thin that they are almost lacy. Reduce the oven heat to slow 300°F/150°C/gas
mark 2 and bake them for about 15 minutes, then flip them over and bake for another 10 minutes,
until crisp and deep golden. You can also cut in half before the second baking. This is the way I like
them. The size works better. Be careful not to burn.
Storage and Freezing Instructions/Tips: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1
month. Prolong the freshness by freezing for up to 3 months.

Duck Key, Florida