Carta di Musica
Originally from the Italian island of Sardinia, Carta di Musica are thin, crispy crackers that are quite easy to make. Add some cheese and a bottle of wine for an excellent appetizer idea!
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I recognize that a cracker recipe isn’t going to burn up the interwebs. I mean how many folks actually make homemade crackers? I’m quite passionate about baking, so I’m on board here. It doesn’t matter whether it’s breads, cakes or crackers. I just love the process of baking. If you enjoy baking, too, then try your hand at making Carta di Musica. These crackers are light and airy, and they’re also pretty easy to make.
The term Carta di Musica is actually Italian for ‘sheet music.’ (These crackers hail from the Italian island of Sardinia.) So what does sheet music have to do with these crackers? Well according to legend, it’s because the dough should be thin enough that you can read sheet music through it. In fact, sometimes this recipe is called ‘music paper bread.”
Whether or not that’s actually true is up for debate, but the point remains that this dough is very thin. However, no special equipment is needed to make Carta di Musica. You just need a mixer (although you could do it by hand – your arm would just be very tired) and a rolling pin.
One helpful item here is a baking stone. If you don’t have a baking stone, you can mimic one by using an overturned sheet pan. The baking stone (or baking sheet) stays in the oven while it preheats, so it is scorching hot by the time you’re ready to bake. (If you don’t have a baking stone, I recommend getting one. We have a couple, but I like this one a lot.)
Once that thin dough hits the hot baking stone, it only takes a couple minutes to bake up into a nice crispy cracker. And speaking of baking, each piece of dough puffs up quite a bit. Once it cools off, you can break that dough into smaller crackers. (And it’s actually really fun to break these Carta di Musica apart!)
Carta di Musica
These crackers (flatbreads?) rely on a combination of all-purpose flour and semolina flour. (Semolina is often used in pasta.) By themselves, these crackers are kinda boring. The texture is great, but there’s not much there in terms of flavor. However, brush the dough lightly with olive oil and then sprinkle a bit of coarse salt and/or Italian seasonings on top? Now you’re talking! (Speaking of sea salt, we love this Maldon flaked sea salt for recipes like this.)
Just make sure to do this to both sides of the dough. As noted above, Carta di Musica puff up in the oven. Once cooled, you tap them lightly to break ’em apart, and both the tops and bottoms become ‘crackers’ for serving.
While these Carta di Musica could be served by themselves, we actually enjoy making a batch and then serving them with a nice piece of cheese (Parmigiano-reggiano is a great choice), an assortment of olives and a good bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon. (If it’s a hot summer day, we’ll opt for a dry Chardonnay instead.)
These crackers not only feature a fun story about the sheet music, but it’s also pretty fun to say you made homemade crackers. So if you’re at all intrigued, give these a shot! They’re definitely a fun way to mix up the routine. Happy baking!
Did you make a batch of these Carta di Musica at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog). I’d love to see your version!
Carta di Musica
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semolina flour
- 1 cup water
- 1 tsp table salt
- extra-virgin olive oil for topping and dipping
- kosher salt for topping
- Italian seasonings for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Note: If you have a pizza stone, use it! If you don’t have a pizza stone, you can mimic one by placing an upside down sheet pan into the oven while it is preheating.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with dough hook attachment, add both flours, water and salt; stir on low speed until well combined. Increase speed to medium and let mix for 6-7 minutes, or until dough is very smooth.
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel. Let dough rest at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Working on a large cutting board, spray board with non-stick baking spray. Roll one ball into an 8” or 9” circle.
- Brush top of dough lightly with olive oil and then sprinkle top with kosher salt and/or Italian spices. Flip dough over and repeat process.
- Working with 1-2 pieces of dough at a time, place dough on the pizza stone (or overturned sheet pan) and bake for 3-4 minutes. Using a pair of kitchen or grill tongs, flip dough over and continue baking for 3-4 more minutes or until golden brown. Repeat process with remaining pieces of dough.
- Let cool and then break each piece apart into bite-sized pieces. Serve with additional olive oil for dipping.
Looking for other fun appetizer ideas? Check out these other favorites, too:
Italian Herb Baked Lasagna Chips
will be making this soon i never had homemade crackers before i love italian food soooooooooo much this crackers are super easy to make i will try them after work next week sorry for early comment as am in Singapore will dm you if i make this and let you know how it goes Thanks Ramya
I hope you get a chance to make these, Ramya! This recipe is easy, and the flavor from the crackers comes from the olive oil + seasonings. Plus, it’s just fun to make homemade crackers! 🙂
Sing along crackers, I’m in. Actually, I make saltines regularly as we can’t get them here, so I’ll add this to my cracker rotation.
Baking stones, let’s see, I have a big one for our big oven and one for our small oven and then I have one that goes on the Weber. So, yes I agree if you don’t have one and you make pizza and such, you should have a stone and a peel…
Haha – that’s a fun name for these crackers: ‘sing along crackers.” 🙂 I’ve never made saltine crackers before, so now you’ve got me intrigued there! Saltines are readily available here (as you know), but I bet homemade saltines taste way better!
And I 100% back you up on the baking stone comment. They make such a difference!!
What a beautiful name – sheet music. So eloquent and descriptive. Love these. In the old days I made crackers, not any more. Actually it’s not out of laziness but more because there are so many online interweb sources!
I’m with ya, Mimi – the name behind this recipe is really quite fun. And you do make a good point about crackers. It’s easy to find really good ones, but there’s also something to be said for making your own. You should make a batch – you know, for old times sake! 🙂
it is a wonderful name isn’t it? i’ve seen recipes for these ages ago. such a good idea!
It really is a fun name for a recipe! The crackers taste great on their own, but the name adds a unique twist. Thanks, Sherry!
These look fantastic, David. And I have to tell you, you beat me to it. I’ve been meaning to make carta da musica for some time now but never got around to it!
Ah, I’d love to see your version of these crackers, Frank! (I have to admit that figuring out how to take an appetizing picture of crackers isn’t the easiest thing to do – thus the olive oil and salt crock. Hah!)
Ha! An old blogger’s trick. If the food isn’t pretty, plating and props come to the rescue!
Hah! I know that trick well, too. 🙂 Enjoy your Sunday, Frank!
Who doesn’t love crackers?! These look amazing! I love that they are so easy to put together and also that they are yeast free. Thanks for sharing.
These crackers really are quite simple to make – the key is the hot baking stone! Thanks, Taruna!
Yes I do have a baking stone. In fact it would be nice to make something different other than pizza’s on that baking stone! Thanks for the recipe David. I’m definitely up for trying these. And of course they will go with some cheese and wine as you suggest!
I’m not gonna lie – pizza is far and away the most common thing we bake on our stone, too. However, breads make an occasional appearance, and these crackers were a fun addition to the lineup. You should give ’em a shot! And, yes, open a bottle of wine and find some yummy cheeses to serve along with a bowl of these crackers. That’ll make for a fun night for sure!
I’ve never tried (neither heard the name) Carta di Musica, but let’s be honest – what could go wrong with some delicious homemade crackers? Hmm let me think for a second – nothing! Indeed, with the warm and sunny days on the way, I can literally live on some good bread, olive oil, dips, and vegetables. Perhaps, a glass of wine on weekend won’t hurt. These crackers look and sound fantastic!
I admit that Carta di Musica aren’t the most well-known crackers, but they are worth making a batch! I’m like you, Ben – I can make an entire meal out of good bread and olive oil. These crackers channel that same vibe, and the olive oil + seasonings add a ton of flavor. I highly recommend them!
I’m just binging on Stanley Tucci’s series on CNN, so I have now heard of Sardinia! These crackers look so yummy! The perfect appy for the weekend!
Ah, I’ll have to check out that Stanley Tucci series you mention. In other news, these crackers are indeed yummy. Perhaps the perfect snack (with a glass of wine) while you binge watch the latest show? 🙂 Thanks, Michelle!
What a great recipe, David! I don’t have a baking stone but I love the idea of using an overturned baking sheet instead. I would love to bake my own crackers, thanks so much for sharing!
Yes! An overturned baking sheet works in a pinch if you don’t have a stone – just let it preheat in the oven so it gets nice and hot. Homemade crackers are a unique idea. I personally love to bake, so I’m always down to make a batch of these! Thanks, Katerina!
I’m down with making crackers, David. I’m one of those oddballs to whom something like that sounds appealing. A while back, I finally gave in to the urge and made a batch of graham crackers … and they were fantasic! In fact, just writing about it makes me want to make another batch, but I think I might just try these “sheet music” crackers instead.
I’ve been meaning to make graham crackers – like you said, I’m an oddball and making homemade graham crackers is something I’d love to try out sometime. Same with homemade saltine crackers. I enjoyed making these carta di musica, and I do recommend trying your hand at them sometime. The olive oil + herbs adds so much flavor!
That looks like a great starter, perfect with heavy dinners as these are light compared to pizza bread or any table breads which I cant get enough of.
That’s a good point, Raymund! Restaurants almost always serve baskets of table breads, but I think these crackers would be a big hit, too…especially if you serve ’em with a glass of wine.
I love making homemade crackers and these look wonderful, David! A welcome addition to any appetizer spread.
Homemade crackers really are a lot of fun to make – thanks, Marissa!!
Sourdough discard crackers have become a mainstay around here, so count me in on the cracker train.
Ah, sourdough discard crackers. Interesting! I like the idea of making these with a bit of sourdough flavor…I might need to investigate that a bit. Thanks, Brian!
I love the name and meaning behind these crackers! I’m with you, I could easily pair these with cheese and wine for dinner.
Side note: Have you seen the new CNN show Stanley Tucci Searching for Italy? He basically travels around the country eating all the best food. I’ve been loving it & think you would enjoy it too!
Good cheese + good wine is totally a dinner option around here! And these crackers are a fun addition. Thanks for recommending that Stanley Tucci series – someone else mentioned that one, too, but I haven’t seen it yet. I’m going to record it right now!!