Going Crackers for Beth Bakes

When Elizabeth Fradin’s daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease 17 years ago, Elizabeth decided to come up with some gluten-free alternatives for her. She started home-baking, but gluten-free bread is tricky to bake and to store. As she thought about snack foods, Elizabeth realized that many gluten-free items are sweet, so she decided to go for savory, and eventually Beth Bakes cracker company was born. The crackers are also vegan, nut-free, soy-free and non-GMO. There are currently three varieties—plain, pumpkin seed/cumin and currant/ fennel. “We like funky flavors,” she says, “and I use the whole seeds of cumin and fennel to get that burst of flavor.” Selling them at farmers markets, she has found that customer favorites are almost seasonal, with pumpkin seeds in the fall and currants in the winter. She uses Bob’s Red Mill flours, including teff and sorghum flours, and she sources pumpkin seeds from New York State’s Finger Lakes area. The crackers are hand-rolled into oval shapes and very crisp, almost chip-like, but they take well to soft spreads and toppings.

Available at Dave’s Marketplace (East Greenwich and Smithfield Crossing locations), The Pantry at Avenue N, Stock Culinary Goods, C & R Mercantile and various farmers markets. BethBakesRI.com