did i ever tell you that my husband is a crazy-good photographer? well, he is, and i persuaded him to shoot (most of) this post! in most instances he shoots strictly film, but in this case, because of time constraints, i convinced him to use my digi. i love watching him do his photography thing...the way his eyes sustain their focus on his subject, how the muscles around his left temple move and shift when he's concentrating, and how cool and reserved he is about getting the image he wants. it's a treat whenever i get to see him in his element, and - bonus! - on most occasions i learn a thing or two.

these days me and garbanzo bean flour are bff's. using it at least once a week for socca, and now for these chickpea crackers. the flour and dough are super versatile and unlike a lot of gluten free flours out there, chickpea flour is packed with lots of good-for-you things: protein, fiber and iron - woot! i've made these crackers plain, with garlic and herbs, with za'atar, etc. in the past i've mixed the za'atar into the dry mix, and you can totally do that, but since the colors and texture of za'atar are so pretty i thought rolling them into the surface would be best...and it was - total win both for looks and taste. it was all perfect with some extra olive oil on top and some maldon for good measure. i'm super stoked to play around with this dough and see just how versatile it is. i'm already dreaming up a pizza dough, a savory galette and maybe dog treats!

za'atar spiced chickpea crackers w/ maldon sea salt (gluten free + vegan)

crackers adapted from farm on plate

| makes 32 large crackers (as pictured) or 64 smaller crackers, or lots of teeny crackers |

ingredients

2 cups garbanzo bean flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/3 cup + 1-2 tablespoons warm water, plus more if needed
~3 tablespoons za'atar
maldon sea salt for garnishing

za'atar

3 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried marjoram
3 teaspoons sumac
1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

mung bean hummus from 101 Cookbooks

instructions

make the za'atar

in a mortar and pestle, grind the marjoram and thyme until crushed. add the sumac and salt, grind again until incorporated. mix in the toasted sesame seeds and set aside
store leftovers in a lidded jar at room temp

make the dough

in a large bowl, whisk the garbanzo bean flour with the salt and baking powder until combined. using your hands, rub the olive oil into the flour to distribute evenly; about 2 minutes - make sure there are no large clumps
transfer the flour mixture to a food processor. with the processor running, drizzle the 1/3 cup of warm water until the mixture comes together. if your dough is still dry, add more water by the 1/2 tablespoon until dough ball has formed
knead the dough for 5 minutes. divide it into two pieces and wrap each piece with plastic wrap. let it rest for 10 minutes

make the crackers

preheat oven to 350° and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
prepare a flat work surface with two pieces of parchment paper. place one piece of dough on top of one piece of parchment, wet your hands a bit and flatten the dough with your palm. cover dough with second piece of parchment and roll out to an 1/8-inch thickness with a rolling pin
trim edges and set scraps to the side, sprinkle with za'atar. use your rolling pin and roll over the dough once more to push za'atar into the dough's surface. using a pastry brush, lightly brush tops of crackers with olive oil, sprinkle with maldon sea salt
transfer the crackers to prepared baking sheets and bake for 18-20 minutes (**if you are making small crackers bake time will be between 12-15 minutes), rotating halfway through - crackers will be lightly browned on the edges when done. remove from oven and let crackers cool. repeat with remaining dough
crackers can be stored in an air-tight container at room temp for up to 4 days

enjoy with your favorite dip, hummus, spread or with nothing at all! xo