But some things you have to learn the hard way. I recently bought a 1lb bag of buckwheat flour for a whopping 43 Dirhams (that is more than 11 USD or 8 Euros). It won me over immediately, as everything I put it into turned out really very well. Before I could blink, my family had gobbled up everything that came out of the oven. Never in my life have I been baking so much in one week. Never in my life did I love baking so much.
It makes me happy when my family likes my food. They don’t care about sugar-free and gluten-free options. They usually are not even aware of it when presented to them. The only thing that counts is taste. In a nutshell, buckwheat flour was a huge success. But still, having spent 11USD for it bugged me.
How happy was I when I discovered a different brand of buckwheat flour for just 4 USD in another shop. It looked a little darker, but hey, so what. I took it home, and immediately started baking our current favorite gluten-free Buckwheat Almond Crackers with it. Now the dark color turned into something blackish when combined with wet ingredients. I rolled out the dough, I baked them, trying to ignore the strange color. I told myself, it’s buckwheat flour: It will taste the same, it just looks different. Although I already doubted that I could sell these black things to my family.
No, it wasn’t the same. The taste was entirely different. And the whole batch landed in the bin.
After a quick google I found out: there is light and dark buckwheat flour. Depending on how much of the dark hull has been left on, buckwheat flour is either light or dark. Light buckwheat flour (sometimes called fancy buckwheat flour) is made from hulled buckwheat while dark buckwheat flour (also called supreme buckwheat flour) is made from unhulled and has dark specks throughout. The dark variety is higher in fiber *.
Now I am stuck with a whole bag of dark buckwheat flour. I haven’t quite found a rcipe to use it in yet. Meanwhile I will have to go back and by another 11 USD bag of light buckwheat flour. The light version works beautifully in these crackers. It adds an earthy flavor to the crackers. So good, that we snack on without any dips or spreads.
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Yields ca. 20
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Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the water and knead till the dough is smooth. Form a disc and wrap it in cling wrap. Let rest for at least 30 minutes (and up to 8 hours) in the fridge.
Preheat oven to 180C/375F.
Between two sheets of parchment paper, roll out the dough evenly and as thin as possible, to 1/8 inch thickness (or less if you can). Remove top baking sheet. With a knife or cookie cutter, cut the dough into desired shapes. Poke each cracker with a fork to prevent puffing. Transfer onto baking sheet (with bottom parchment paper).
Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until edges turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool. Break crackers at pre-cut edges. Serve immediately or keep in open bowl.
We are currently obsessed w/ buckwheat flour too! The light is better for baking but the dark is healthier. Glad you managed to find some for cheap
Taste & whole food ingredients is our top priority too. Love these crackers 🙂
Hi, I’m very glad to have recently discovered your blog. The simplicity of your recipes, especially those of healthier sweets using unrefined sugar, is appreciated.
As for the dark buckwheat flour, try making Brittany galettes, which are savoury crêpes or pancakes that can be garnished with sautéed vegetables (my preference) or slices of ham and grated cheese (traditionally French).
Buckwheat flour is something really great…we have buckwheat udon here (kind of noodles) in hong kong, which is regarded very healthy! Anja, the photograph looks awesome!
i am going to try them out – they are perfect match – gluten free and sugar free -)) thank you for sharing
Oh no! So sorry to read that, Anja! Funny thing is I always use the dark one, I love its taste! Maybe try it in muffins or a bread, or a bake that has a lot of fruits in it. Like your buckwheat date muffins, maybe?
I love buckwheat flour and these crackers look so tasty! Would it be cheaper for you to ground your own flour using raw buckwheat kernels instead? I’ve tried that (in a food processor) and it worked out ok. Not sure if there is any difference in terms of price though.
Maria: that is actually a good idea. Haven’t thought of it. Will try for sure. Moneywise it would make a difference.
This is a great recipe.
I’ve just made those delicious crackers- one question: how and for how long should I store it? ( in air-tight container in the fridge maybe?)
I love your recipes and pics:-)
We usually have them in an open bowl on the kitchen counter, they never last longer than three days there, and stay crisp all the way.
Hi Anja, i just discovered your blog and i have to say that the recipes are different from what i have come across so far and amazing!! Really appreciate the innovative ideas. I can actually eat most of them because they don’t include the intolerances i have as ingredients. Yaay!
I have a couple of questions for you, where can i find buckwheat flour? Did you try grinding the grains into flour and using that? If so, how did the crackers turn out? I am allergic to almond so what can i use to replace the almond meal?
Do you know a brand in the US that is the light buckwheat flour? The ones I’ve seen at the store don’t specifically say and they look light to me but I don’t want to make the same mistake.
Hi Leslie, if in doubt, you can always grind up buckwheat groats in a coffee grinder. The Bob’s Red Mill buckwheat flour is the dark one.
I just made this recipe with cashew meal instead of almond (due to food sensitivities) and they didn’t turn out as tasty as I was hoping. I used Arrowhead buckwheat flour. Doesn’t say light or dark but it looks dark. Do you think on these changes made a big difference?
About how long will the crackers stay good for? Could I store them in an airtight container so they last longer?
P.S. I just tried one and they are delicious!