Anticipating a long, complicated process, not many cooks make their own crackers; however, these are quite easy to make as they don’t require lengthy kneading and are easy to roll out. The result is a light, crispy cracker with an alluring, irregular, “homemade look”. try sprinkling the crackers with black pepper, coarse salt, or cumin seeds instead of the fennel seeds.

In a small, warm bowl sprinkle the yeast and sugar onto the warm water and stir until dissolved. Let stand in a warm place for 5 minutes.

In a large bowl combine the flour and salt. Form a well in the center and add the olive oil, black pepper and yeast mixture into the liquids forming a dense, slightly sticky dough. Knead the dough on lightly floured surface a few times until smooth. Place the dough in a oiled bowl, turn the dough to oil the top and cover with a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm place until double, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Gather the dough into a ball and divide it into 20 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball between your hands, then press it into a disk. Roll each disk into a 6- to 7-inch irregular circle of even thickness. If the dough sticks use a little flour on the work surface. Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet, 5 to a sheet. Lightly beat the egg yolk with a tablespoon of water and brush the crackers. Sprinkle each circle with fennel seeds and prick thoroughly with a fork. Bake in the center or top half of the oven until medium brown, 15 to 20 minutes.

Cool the crackers on a rack for 15 minutes. (Once cooled, the crackers can be stored in a airtight container for several days.)

Makes 10 servings.