Servings 90 crackers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting work surface
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
Instructions
- Attach the shredding attachment to the food processor and shred the cheese. (Alternately, grate on the large hole of a box grater.)
- Add the cheese, flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt to the bowl of a food processor. Process until combined, about 30 seconds.
- With the food processor running, stream in the melted butter and continue processing until the dough forms a ball.
- Lightly flour your work surface. Turn out the dough onto the flour and shape it into a 1-inch-thick disk. Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 2 days. (If the dough has been chilling longer than an hour, let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before rolling so it’s easier to work with.)
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Lightly flour your work surface then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough until it is 1/4-inch-thick. Use a knife (or fluted ravioli cutter) to cut out 1-inch squares. (Scraps can be re-rolled.) Transfer the crackers onto the prepared baking sheets then make a small hole in the center of each cracker using the bottom of a bamboo skewer. Sprinkle with salt (optional).
- Bake the crackers until they are golden brown on the edges, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove them from the oven and let them cool completely on the baking sheet before serving.
Notes
- Freshly grated cheese is essential for the dough texture; do not use pre-shredded cheese.
- If you like extra-toasty Cheez-Its, leave the crackers in the oven for 1–2 minutes longer—just keep a close eye on them.
- Make-Ahead: The dough can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temp for 20 minutes before attempting to roll it out.
- This is the fluted ravioli cutter I used to make copycat Cheez-It shapes. A pizza wheel works great, too.
- Storage: Once completely cooled, store the crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
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