A pantry staple: thin, dry and crisp, with a neutral, lightly salted flavor. Made to accompany cheese, jam or a hot drink without competing with any of them. When they turn out right, the first crunch says everything.
Combine the all-purpose flour, dry yeast, white sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Rub in the vegetable shortening with your fingertips until evenly distributed like fine crumbs; then add the slightly warm water and work the dough for 2 to 3 minutes, until it feels firm, smooth and only slightly elastic, without kneading it like bread.
Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes. It does not need to double in size; it is ready when it feels more relaxed and easier to roll out without immediately shrinking back.
Turn what you find into an experience you can actually bring to your kitchen.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and line the baking trays with parchment paper. Roll the dough with a rolling pin to about 3 mm, fold it into thirds and roll it out again; repeat once, then finish with an even sheet about 2 mm thick.
Cut the dough into about 40 even rectangles and prick each one several times to control how much it puffs. Arrange them on the trays with a little space between them; the more even the thickness, the more consistent the final crunch will be.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, rotating and swapping the trays halfway through if they are on different racks, until the crackers are dry, firm and lightly golden around the edges. Let them cool for 5 minutes; as the steam escapes, they should become crisp and brittle. And that's it! If they sound dry when snapped, you have proper water crackers. ✨
