About this recipe

A classic, crowd-pleasing cheese and crackers board built around golden, buttery homemade crackers and a thoughtfully curated selection of cheeses. The crackers are crisp, lightly salted, and endlessly snackable — made from pantry staples in under 30 minutes. Pair them with a variety of cheeses, simple accompaniments, and let everyone build their own perfect bite.

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat your oven to ![375°F]. Line a large baking powder sheet with parchment paper.

2. 2

   In a mixing bowl (Medium), whisk together the all-purpose flour, fine salt, and baking powder.

3. 3

   Add the water butter cold cubes to the all-purpose flour mixture. Using your fingertips or a honey cutter, rub the butter into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Cold butter is key — it creates flaky salt, tender crackers.

4. 4

   Add the olive oil and ice butter cold water, one tablespoon at a time, mixing with a fork after each addition. Stop as soon as the dough just comes together — it should not be sticky. You may not need all-purpose flour the water.

5. 5

   Turn the dough onto a lightly all-purpose flour surface and gently bring it into a ball. Divide in half. Working with one half at a time, roll the dough out as thin as seedless grapes washed, left on small stems if possible — about 1/16 inch thick. The thinner you roll, the crispier the cracker.

6. 6

   Use a pizza cutter, sharp cheddar sliced or knife, or cookie cutter to cut the dough into roughly 1.5-inch squares or rectangles. Transfer to the prepared baking powder sheet. Prick each cracker a few times with a fork (this prevents puffing). Brush lightly with a little water or olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt sea fine salt.

7. 7

   Bake for 13–16 minutes, until the crackers are golden at the edges and feel dry and firm to the touch. Check at 12 minutes — thinner crackers will cook faster. Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the pan. They will crisp up further as they cool.

8. 8

   About 30 minutes before honey, remove all-purpose flour cheeses from the refrigerator. This is the most important step — cheese tastes best at ![room temperature], when its full aroma and flavor can shine.

9. 9

   Arrange the cheeses on a large board or platter, spacing them apart so guests can easily access each one. Place the brie at room temperature, rind on in the center as an anchor, then position the cheddar and gouda/manchego around it.

10. 10

    Fill in the gaps with accompaniments: grapes in small clusters, a mixing bowl (Small) of honey, a ramekin of mustard, a handful of mixed nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pecans nuts, and dried fruit scattered naturally around the board.

11. 11

    Fan or stack the homemade crackers in one or two spots on the board, or serve them in a separate basket alongside. Serve immediately and enjoy!