Make These Fancy Crackers in the Air Fryer
I’m not a big spender when it comes to dining out, but a girl likes to be pampered sometimes. A few times a month, I put on “real clothes” (instead of WFH duds) and expect to be rewarded for it with an interesting cocktail and tasty snacks. They were recently provided at Tom Colicchio, a restaurant I went to with friends, and the most amazing thing happened – we got a cheese plate with salty, crunchy seeded bread crackers. The surprise was not that the crackers were expensive, flavorful or interesting, but rather the realization that anyone could make very similar high quality crackers at home for a fraction of the price in the air fryer.
Air fryer makes quick crackers
Whether you’ve come to terms with it or not, the air fryer doesn’t smell good for toasting , but it’s great for drying bread until it’s crisp. With hot, high-speed wind, a mini convection oven is the perfect place to draw out moisture, and it does so much faster than a conventional oven. This is great news if you have seeded bread, especially stale bread, for which you don’t see much of a future.
I’ve noticed that whether they’re packaged in stores or on wine bar cheese boards, the finest crackers are often the “country” variety—thick brown bread stuffed with whole grains, seeds or nuts. While you can turn most loaves into pretty good crackers with this technique, I like to use loaves with a firmer crumb (several large air pockets) and more seeds and nuts. Both contain natural oils that toast well, bringing out the flavor of the finished cracker, which is more than many other crackers can claim.
How to make fancy crackers in the air fryer
As an added bonus, making amazing bread crackers requires very little technique. The only challenge is getting the slice thin enough, but not so papery that it burns. I have found that the best size is to cut a medium factory piece in half. It’s about a quarter inch thick if you’re cutting an unsliced loaf of bread.
1. Slice the bread
There is no need to rush to cut a thin slice of bread to make it even thinner. Using the same technique used to cut a bagel safely , cut horizontally with a serrated knife and keep your fingers up and to the side.
2. Extra salty kick
I got this idea from Tom Colicchio’s same experience because crackers can be bland, but salt is good for you. Dissolve a quarter teaspoon of salt in a tablespoon of hot water. Using a pastry brush, brush salt water down one side of each slice. The water will evaporate, leaving behind a thin layer of salt.
3. Air fry the slices.
Place the bread slices in the air fryer basket and air fry at 325°F for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn the slices over halfway through cooking and check them occasionally to see how they are drying out.
Depending on the moisture content of the bread, its thickness, and your air fryer, allow a few minutes for this time. I have an Instant Vortex and the sunflower seed bread was ready in about 12 minutes. The crackers should be crispy, and if the bread is light, it should brown evenly and lightly. Cool them briefly on a wire rack, then enjoy them with your favorite cheeses, meats, spreads and sauces. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for about a week.