Combine Step 1 ingredients well in a mixing bowl. I use a wire whisk.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. We use a countertop Breville Smart Oven that fits 12-inch round pizza pans, which are great for this recipe.

Add-in the vegetable shortening, and mix well (use your fingers — it works better to combine the shortening with the flour mixture).

Add the milk and mix well with a fork. Make a ball and clean the sides of the mixing bowl.

On a lightly-floured surface, roll-out the dough. Start from the center, roll, flip the dough over, and roll again in all directions. You want to form a large circle of dough that ends up being about 1/8” thin. We use a Kitzini silicone pastry mat, because it is large and is easy to use and clean.

Sprinkle the course Kosher salt on the surface of the dough and pat down lightly. Add pepper sparingly, and pat down lightly.

Use a dough docker while on the floured surface. The dough docker works really well on the silicone pastry mat. Run it back and forth to make indentations and small holes in the dough. If you don’t have a dough docker, proceed to the next step.

You can use a cookie cutter to make round crackers, or you can simply cut the dough into strips to make it really “artisan” styled crackers. Carefully peel-up the dough (I use my fingers, which doesn’t necessarily give me perfectly round crackers) and place onto an un-greased cookie sheet. If you didn’t use a dough docker, you can use a fork to prick holes in the dough at this time. If you don’t do this, the dough will not bake through thoroughly and you won’t get crackers — you’ll get something more like pita chips.

Bake for about 8 minutes and take out when the edges start getting brown. Flip crackers over and bake for another 5 minutes or until the crackers begin turning brown on the edges. Remove from oven and place on cooling racks, right-side up.