Inspired by The View from Great Island
Full of flavor, texture & crunch. Easy to make. Easy to customize.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 4 mini-loaf pans.
Place the flour, salt & baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk to combine. Add the seeds & kernels. Whisk again to combine.
If using larger dried fruits, like dried plums, chop them roughly to form smaller pieces. The nuts can be left whole if preferred.
Add the fruit & nuts to the mix. Give it a quick stir to blend. Add the buttermilk & honey to the bowl. Stir until well combined. The consistency of the batter will be similar to a cake batter.
Fill your 4 loaf pans evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out without wet batter clinging to it.
Allow the loaves to cool briefly in the pans before turning them out onto a rack to cool completely. Wrap the completely cooled loaves in plastic or foil and place them in the freezer for at least 2 hours, or until nice and firm.
Note: it's important that the loaves be completely cool before you put them in the freezer.
When ready to bake the crackers, preheat the oven to 300°F.
Slice the partially frozen loaves as thinly as you can. You should get anywhere from 20-30 slices from each loaf. Place the slices in a single layer on a dry baking sheet. They can be placed close together. Bake for 15 minutes on one side, then flip for another 15 minutes.
Note: depending on the thickness of your crackers they could take a little more or a little less time. Watch carefully so that they don't burn.
When cool enough to handle, transfer the crackers to a wire rack to cool completely. Provided all of the moisture has been removed during baking, the crispy crackers will last for several weeks. Store in a closed paper bag.
If need be, they can be refreshed by popping them in a 300°F oven for a few minutes before serving.
The wrapped loaves can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. When needed, remove a loaf at a time and bake up a tray of fresh crispy crackers.