Makes: About 3½ cups
Time: About 1 hour
Making your own cereal is certainly more work than grabbing a box off the supermarket shelf, but doing so lets you make sure the ingredients are simple and real. Try the main recipe with raisins, or any other dried fruit, and see the variations for more classic breakfasts.
1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Stir all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl with 1¼ cups water until well combined.
2. Cut parchment paper to fit 3 rimmed baking sheets. Lay one sheet of parchment out on the counter, scoop a third of the batter (about ½ cup) into the middle, and lay a large sheet of plastic wrap over the top. Using a rolling pin, roll the batter into as thin a sheet as you can (you should practically be able to see through it). Carefully peel off the plastic wrap and transfer the parchment to the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining batter.
3. Bake (in batches if you don’t have 3 racks in your oven or 3 baking sheets), rotating the pans once halfway through, until the batter dries out a bit and begins to darken slightly around the edges, about 10 minutes. Let the sheets cool and lower the heat to 250°F. When the sheets have cooled, peel them off the parchment with your fingers; they’ll have a sort of rubbery texture. Tear the sheets into flakes. Spread them out on 2 baking sheets and bake, tossing occasionally, until completely dried out and brittle, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool before serving. These can be refrigerated in an airtight container for about 2 weeks.
NUTTY BRAN FLAKES Add ½ cup ground nuts and 2 tablespoons nut butter to the rest of the ingredients; increase the water to 1½ cups.
SWEET WHEAT FLAKES Replace the wheat bran with 1 cup all-purpose flour; substitute 2 tablespoons sugar for the honey. After the sheets of batter have baked for just a minute, sprinkle each one with another teaspoon of sugar. Return to the oven and proceed with the recipe.