Homemade Cheese Crackers

Name: Homemade Cheese Crackers
Yield: 128 small crackers
Cuisine: United States
Ingredients: 170 g sharp cheddar, freshly shredded (about 1½ cups); 125 g all-purpose flour; 3.5 g cornstarch; ¼ tsp salt; 1 tsp paprika, for color; 85 g cold unsalted butter, in 6 pieces; 30 g cold water; flaky sea salt, for the tops (optional)

Also called cheddar crackers, cheese squares

Thin, crisp cheddar crackers, cut into 1-inch squares.

Makes: 128 small crackers

Vegetarian Make ahead Freezes well

Adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction, after America's Test Kitchen's Complete Baby and Toddler Cookbook

Ingredients

Scale

Amounts are for the recipe. Sizes, times and temperatures in the method are not scaled.

170 g6 ozsharp cheddar, freshly shredded (about 1½ cups)
125 g1 cupall-purpose flour
3.5 g1½ tspcornstarch
¼ tspsalt
1 tsppaprika, for color
85 g6 tbspcold unsalted butter, in 6 pieces
30 g2 tbspcold water
flaky sea salt, for the tops (optional)

Amounts worked out from the other system are rounded.

Method

Process the cheddar (170 g6 oz), flour (125 g1 cup), cornstarch (3.5 g1½ tsp), salt (¼ tsp) and paprika (1 tsp) for about 30 seconds. Add the butter (85 g6 tbsp) and process to the texture of wet sand, then pulse in the water (30 g2 tbsp) until large clumps form.
Halve the dough and pat each half into a 6-inch square. Wrap and chill until firm, about 45 minutes, or up to 2 days. Chilling keeps the crackers from losing their shape.
Heat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and line 2 baking sheets.
Roll each square to about 9 inches, roughly ⅛ inch thick, trim it to 8 inches and cut it into 1-inch squares.
Dock the center of each with a skewer and sprinkle with flaky salt if using.
Bake 16 to 18 minutes, rotating halfway, until golden at the edges. For crunchier crackers, bake about 20 minutes.
Cool completely on the sheet.

Notes

White cheddar or any medium-hard cheese works. Avoid soft cheeses.
Don't increase the cornstarch. More makes them too soft.
Storage. They keep up to a week at room temperature with the lid slightly ajar; sealed tight, they soften. The wrapped dough freezes for 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge.