Sesame Rice Crackers (胡麻せんべい, Goma Senbei)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Rolling pin
• •Parchment paper
• •Round cutter or knife
• •Wire rack
• •Yakimonoami (wire grilling net), or an oven rack set over a baking sheet
• •Pastry brush

Instructions

1. 1

   Toast sesame

   Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan over medium-low heat, shaking often, until the white seeds turn pale gold or the black seeds smell deeply nutty, 2 to 3 minutes. Tip them out at once. Sesame keeps cooking in the hot pan, and burnt sesame turns bitter fast.

2. 2

   Make dough

   Stir the jōshinko, starch, and salt together in a heatproof bowl. Pour in the boiling water and mix with chopsticks or a spoon until the flour gathers into a rough dough. Hot water partially gelatinizes the rice starch, which gives the dough enough strength to roll thin without asking for wheat flour. When cool enough to touch, knead it for 3 minutes until smooth and pliable.

3. 3

   Roll thin

   Place the dough between two sheets of parchment and roll it 2mm thick. Thin matters here. A thick senbei dries slowly and eats hard instead of crisp. Peel off the top sheet, scatter the sesame evenly, replace the parchment, and roll once more so the seeds are pressed into the damp surface.

4. 4

   Cut crackers

   Cut the dough into 7cm rounds or neat rectangles and move them to a parchment-lined tray. Gather and reroll the scraps while they are still soft. If the dough cracks at the edges, wet your fingers and press it back together; rice dough is honest about dryness and forgives a little water.

5. 5

   Dry thoroughly

   Let the pieces stand uncovered for 30 minutes, then turn them over and dry 20 to 30 minutes more, until the surface feels leathery rather than sticky. This rest is not idleness. It drives off surface moisture so the crackers crisp evenly instead of blistering outside while staying damp within.

   For a drier kitchen, 45 minutes may be enough. In humid weather, give them the full hour. Touch tells the truth better than the clock.
6. 6

   Grill or bake

   Heat a yakimonoami, a wire grilling net, over a low gas flame and grill the crackers in batches, turning often, until firm, pale, and crisp at the edges, 5 to 7 minutes per batch. No grill net? Bake them on a rack at 160 C for 18 to 22 minutes, turning once. Gentle heat finishes the drying before browning, which gives a clean snap.

7. 7

   Brush glaze

   Stir the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar until the sugar dissolves. Brush a very thin coat on one side of each cracker, then return them to the grill or oven for 1 to 2 minutes until the surface looks glossy and dry. Too much glaze softens the cracker and bullies the sesame. A whisper is enough.

8. 8

   Cool completely

   Cool the senbei on a rack until fully crisp before storing. They firm as they cool, so don't judge them too early. Serve three or five on a small plate, with space around them. Leave it room.

Chef Tips

• •Use jōshinko, not mochiko, if you want the rice-cracker texture. Mochiko is glutinous rice flour and gives a chewy, mochi-like bite, which is another pleasure but not this one.
• •Toast the sesame yourself, even if the bag says roasted. A minute in a dry pan wakes the oil, and goma senbei lives by that aroma.
• •If the crackers soften after a day, refresh them in a low oven at 140 C for 5 to 8 minutes, then cool them on a rack. Moisture is the enemy, not age.

Advance Preparation

• •The cut crackers can be dried for up to 2 hours before grilling, loosely covered with a clean cloth once the surface is no longer sticky.
• •Finished senbei keep 5 days in an airtight tin with a small packet of desiccant if you have one. Cool them completely first, or trapped warmth will soften them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 13g)