These homemade Ritz crackers are easy to make, are crisp and buttery, and will satisfy your yearning for Ritz crackers. Despite their buttery flavor, these crackers also happen to be vegan, so snack away, because, like the old commercials used to say, "Everything tastes better when it sits on a Ritz!"
3.1gramssalt generous 3/4 teaspoon (I use Morton's kosher salt. Weighing it will give you the most accurate measuremnt)
¼teaspoonbaking soda
2ozvegetable shortening 57 grams or a scant 1/4 cup (I used Crisco. For extra buttery flavor, use 1 oz each regular and butter-flavored Crisco)
3ozcold water85 grams or 6 Tablespoons
1ozlight corn syrup28 grams or 2 scant Tablespoons
To Finish
butter-flavored Criscomelted
kosher saltfor sprinkling
Instructions
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, and baking soda.
In a small bowl or measuring cup, stir together the corn syrup and cold water to dissolve the syrup. Set aside.
Add the vegetable shortening (plain or a mixture of plain and butter-flavored) to the bowl with the dry ingredients, and rub it in with your fingertips pretty thoroughly. You want to make sure there are no large pieces, but the mixture should still have a light and floury texture when you're finished. It shouldn't seem oily or curmbly.
Evenly drizzle in the water/corn syrup mixture, making to scrape the bowl/pitcher to get any corn syrup that might be clinging to the sides or bottom.
Stir together the liquid into the dry ingredients with the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to keep from overmixing.
Once the mixture it thoroughly wet, give it a couple of kneads in the bowl to make sure all the flour is incorporated.
Scrape the dough out onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap it well, and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
While the dough is chilling, heat your oven to 400F and set a rack in the center of the oven.
Get a half-sheet pan and fit it with an oven-safe, grid-style coolling rack. Set aside.
Once your dough has rested in the fridge, liberally flour a clean work surface, cut the dough in half, and work with 1/2 at a time and put the other half back in the fridge.
Place half the dough onto the floured surface and flour the top.
Roll the dough out as thinly and evenly as you can. You should just be able to see the counter through the dough, but it shouldn't be so thin you could read through it. Shoot for about 3mm or a little thinner than 1/8".
Use a fluted round cutter to cut out crackers as close together as you can. Gather up the scraps, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate. You should be able to get about 30 crackers from the first pass.
Snip the tip off a skewer or toothpick and make 7 holes in each cracker. One in the center, and 6 in a circle around the first hole.
Remove the crackers to the grid on the baking sheet. You can place them very close together--they won't spread. Leave maybe 1/4" between the crackers.
Bake for 5 minutes.
Rotate the pan 180 degrees, and bake an additional 3-4 minutes, until crackers are puffed and golden-brown.
As soon as the crackers come out of the oven, brush each one liberally with the metled butter-flavored Crisco and then sprinkle with just a touch of salt. Use less than you think you need. One reasonable-sized pinch of salt should be enough to very lightly salt the whole tray.
Repeat steps 10-18 with the other half of the dough.
Combine the scraps from both halves of the dough and press them together into a rough disc. Roll out to about 3 mm thick and cut as many more crackers as you can. Throw away any scraps as crackers made with them will be tough and weird.
Bake off the rerolls as you did the other two trays.
Turn off the oven and let it cool to no hotter than 275F.
Place all the crackers back in the oven and let them sit in the hot-but-off oven for about 20-30 minutes to dry out and crisp up.
Remove from the oven again and allow them to cool completely before storing in airtight containers for about a week.
To recrisp any that seem to be getting soft, but them on a paper towel-lined plate in the microwave and microwave them on high for 30-40 seconds. Allow them to cool completely for maximum crispiness.
Notes
For More Buttery Flavor
Try using all-butter flavor Crisco as opposed to just using it to brush the tops after baking.
To Use Real Butter
The flavor will not be the same at all, but if you want to use real butter, your best bet is to use clarified butter or ghee instead of whole butter. Since butter has water in it, it will make your crackers tougher, but both clarified butter and ghee are both 100% butterfat with no water.
Variations
Make cheese Ritz by adding 3-4 oz shredded sharp cheddar to the dough. Cut back on the Crisco by half.
Add 2 teaspoons of your favorite herb blend to make herbed crackers
Add 1/2 teaspoon each garlic powder and onion powder plus a little cayenne for savory, spicy crackers
Storing
After cooling completely, store in air-tight containers for up to a week. Recrisp on a paper towel-lined plate in the microwave for about 30 seconds and then let them cool completely again.