WineLovers Discussion Group

Yesterday, these were on an end cap display called "New Items" or "Just In" or something like that, that I never noticed before, though perhaps this store has had it all along--it's near the chips and stuff I don't tend to look at. It's a wheat based cracker credited as Sardinian, and the package isn't kidding when it says 'paper thin'. To show that, I deliberately took this picture of a cracker standing next to the box where you can easily see the difference between the box and day light behind it.

They are as fragile as they are thin. You cannot dip them, nor could you spread anything on it. But they are also as good as they are fragile. Tasty tasty tasty, with a delightful saltiness. We ate a few last night with just a thin slice of Muenster cheese laid atop. The cracker in this picture was not a full-sized piece--each is actually about 5 x 6 inches--and there are about ten per box. Not a lot of product, but enough joy for two and a bottle of wine.

Jenise, have you tried La Panzanella Mini Croccantini, rosemary flavor? They are a paper thin cracker, 3 1/2 inches long by 1 3/4 wide, all natural, low fat. You cannot dip these or spread anything on them. We also use them to lay a slice of cheese on and have as a snack. They have ragged edges which makes them very attractive on a plate.
I will look for the ones you mentioned at TJ's. Always on the lookout for a cracker I like enough to finish up the package. That is the one thing I toss out the most in my kitchen. So many go stale really fast, and the taste leaves a lot to be desired.

Karen, yes, I'm very familiar with the La Panzanella crackers. They come in two sizes, and the minis you mention are the newest. The original is a larger flatbread size. But the ones I have had aren't paper thin. Not like these are, anyway!

Jenise wrote:Karen, yes, I'm very familiar with the La Panzanella crackers. They come in two sizes, and the minis you mention are the newest. The original is a larger flatbread size. But the ones I have had aren't paper thin. Not like these are, anyway!

Yes, I first became acquainted with them from the larger flatbread size, which I did not care for because they were too hard to break apart without making a mess of the pieces. As you said, not paper thin but very thin for a cracker. I'm anxious to see if our TJ's have the ones you like.

Jenise, these are easy enough to make yourself and once made, last forever. I've experimented with differing AP and durum flour proportions and like 50-50. Some recipes for these flatbreads, sometimes called carta di musica or pane carasau, call for yeast but I prefer no yeast and enough salt to taste. Also great with cracked black pepper or rosemary.
It involves baking the rolled dough on a pizza stone, splitting the layers apart and then baking again till totally crisp. The splitting part is not bad if you have asbestos hands
In Sardinia served, crumbled with fresh ricotta drizzled with honey....divine. Wonderful broken in minestrone.

The ingredient list on the box mentioned yeast--had to wonder, why yeast in something that's going to be parchment thin? Does it make it even lighter?

Picked up a package at TJs today, and will try soon.