Daring Bakers Challenge - lavash crackers

It was a savoury challenge for the Daring Bakers this month. In a historic first, the recipe was also vegan and gluten free - Alternative Daring Bakers Natalie and Shel hosted this month and provided a gluten-free lavash cracker recipe (but thoughtfully included a gluten version for those who wanted to use flour). The dips to accompany the lavash crackers had to vegan- and gluten-free. This extra challenge was enthusiastically embraced by most DBers and many came up with amazingly creative combinations.

The lavash cracker recipe was quite simple: 1 1/2 cups of unbleached bread flour, or gluten-free flour blend, was mixed with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp instant yeast, 1 Tb agave syrup or sugar, 1 Tb vegetable oil and up to 1/2 cup of water. After kneading for 10 minutes, it was rested for about 90 minutes (or until doubled in size), then rolled out into a paper-thin sheet, sprinkled with assorted toppings (I used paprika, sea salt, caraway seeds and sesame seeds to make four different types of cracker) and baked at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes.

The finished result was superb! So easy to make and it tasted much better than the store-bought versions. This is the type of cracker you could easily whip up before a dinner party and serve with various dips, or just have on hand for a snack. As we're coming into spring here, this is the perfect weather to have crackers and dip. I didn't have time to research or cook a creative or delicious vegan- and gluten-free dip recipe (although quite a few DBers recommended hummus and guacamole, both of which I love), so I just mashed up some avocado with lemon juice and salt and pepper and this was a very satisfactory accompaniment.

I left a bowl of the crackers on the kitchen bench and Adam polished off quite a few before he asked where they came from. His verdict? "This is the best challenge you've done yet. You should definitely make these again." A ringing endorsement - and one I heartily agree with! Thanks to Natalie and Shel for their inclusive and fun recipe this month.