How to Make Nut and Breadcrumb Slabs
Shaping Base Slabs for Edible Structures
There are a few different ways to shape crackers. You can mold the raw mix and bake it, roll it out and cut it with a cookie cutter before baking, or bake slabs and cut them once cooled. In this section, I’ll show you how I make slabs.
Prepare Your Mix
You can use many types of mixtures to make cracker slabs. In this example, I’ll be using the Recomposed Bread Basic Mix Recipe.
Once your mix is ready, form dough balls and press them onto the baking sheet. Shape them slightly larger than your final target, and a little thicker than your chosen spacers (see next).
Control the Thickness
Precision matters in my process. I like to control the thickness of each piece and aim for a surface that is smooth and even on both sides.
To do this, I use solid, heat-resistant objects like steel bolts, nuts, or brackets as spacers. Clean pieces of ceramic, glass, or other metals also work. Just make sure they are safe for heat and won’t release any toxic substances.
Distribute your spacers evenly between and around the pieces, leaving a bit of space between each one.
Get a Smooth Finish on Both Sides
To achieve a uniform surface on both sides, I bake the crackers sandwiched between two baking sheets. The spacers will define the exact thickness.
Choose baking sheets that won’t warp in the oven. Cast iron works well, and there are also nonstick forged aluminum sheets that perform great.
Place a second sheet on top and press until the dough flattens to the height of your spacers.
Keep Pressure
Add a heavy object on top to maintain pressure throughout the bake. A cast-iron skillet is ideal for this.
Bake and Trim
Refer to your chosen recipe for baking time and temperature.
Once baked and cooled, trim your slabs to the desired shape using a serrated knife.
Step-by-Step Recap
- Choose and prepare a cracker mix (see recipe suggestions below)
- Form dough balls and press them onto a rigid baking sheet. If your sheet is not nonstick, use parchment paper
- Arrange spacers around and between the dough pieces
- Place a second rigid baking sheet on top, using parchment again if needed, and press the dough down to match the spacer height
- Add a heavy object on top to keep steady pressure
- Follow your recipe for baking time and temperature
Working From Fresh Bread
This method can also be used to make slabs from slices of fresh bread.
Steps
- Cut off the crusts and set them aside
- Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and use the same sandwich method as above
- Place in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway through
- Bake the crusts on a separate baking sheet at the same time, until they are completely dry. You can reuse them in your next mix (see Recomposed Bread Basic Mix Recipe)
