Easy Sourdough Discard Crackers
One of the easiest ways to use a lot of sourdough discard is by making a batch of homemade sourdough crackers. This super simple recipe only has a few ingredients and can be seasoned in so many different ways to make a perfect side for your favorite soups and dips.
I like to compare these crackers to saltine crackers but they have an extra tang from the sourdough that adds a lot of really good flavor.
Equipment
Here’s the kitchen items you need to make these sourdough crackers:
- A stand mixer, or a bowl with a hand mixer or rubber spatula
- 1 large baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Plastic wrap
- Measuring cups and spoons
Sourdough Cracker Ingredients
All purpose flour: You can use all purpose flour or a mix of whole wheat and regular white flour for heartier crackers.
Sourdough discard: Active starter or unfed sourdough starter discard is fine for this recipe. Active starter will not taste as sour as sourdough discard that has been fermenting for awhile in the fridge.
Salt
Sugar: There is only a small amount of sugar in this recipe to help balance the flavors and contribute to the browning effect. You can leave it out if you like but I recommend it.
Butter: We use unsalted butter for these crackers but you can also use salted. You want the butter soft enough to easily mix in so you can either use room temperature butter or melt it for 12-15 seconds in the microwave.
Cooking spray: The cooking spray makes it easy to give the unbaked crackers a nice coating to help the flaky sea salt stick.
Flaky sea salt: The flaky salt adds a nice finishing touch to these crackers and an extra flavor boost.
How to Make
Step 1: Make the Dough
Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to mix the ingredients until it comes together into a smooth dough.
Step 2: Chill the Dough
Divide the dough into 2 pieces and shape each into a 4 inch disc. This allows the dough to be easily rolled out. Wrap the discs in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Note: You don’t have to chill the dough but it does make it easier to roll out. Dough that doesn’t have time to rest tends to recoil more when rolled out. This makes it harder to achieve the even, thin crackers we are aiming for.
Step 3: Roll the Dough and Cut the Crackers
Roll out the dough directly onto a piece of parchment paper that you will bake the crackers on. You want to roll the dough as thin as you can (around 1/8 inch thick or less). This will allow the crackers to get nice and crispy in the oven.
Use a fork to pierce the entire surface of the cracker dough.
Cut the crackers. You can either use a sharp knife or a pizza cutter to do this. I like to make my crackers about 1 inch wide but you can adjust the size to your liking. The edges are going to look a bit more uneven but that’s okay. Those are usually the best tasting crackers.
Spray the crackers lightly with cooking spray and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
Step 4: Bake
Bake the crackers for 18 minutes then remove from the oven. Carefully remove the crackers around the edges that look nice and crispy. Return the rest of the crackers to the oven and bake another 5 minutes to get those center ones crisp.
How to Store
Store these crackers in an airtight container such as an airtight storage container or a gallon plastic ziplock bag. For best results, use these crackers within 2-3 weeks.
Easy Sourdough Discard Crackers
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer or you can use a bowl and rubber spatula
- Measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Large Baking Sheet
- Parchment Paper
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 sharp kitchen knife
- 1 fork
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons butter softened to room temperature or slightly melted
- cooking spray optional
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until the dough comes together.
- Cut the dough into two equal sized pieces and roll into a 4 inch diameter disc.
- Cover each disc with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight for a long ferment.
When Ready to Bake
- Preheat oven to 350℉.
- Place one of the dough discs on a large piece of parchment paper (about the size of the baking sheet you plan to use to bake the crackers in).
- Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough in a very thin oval (about ⅛ inch or 2-3 mm thick). You want the dough very thin to achieve crisp crackers.
- Use a fork to pierce the entire surface of the dough several times. The marks should be about ½ inch or 5 mm apart.
- Use a large, sharp kitchen knife or pizza cutter to cut the dough into approximate 1 inch squares. You can improvise around the edges as you won't have perfect squares in these areas.
- Transfer the parchment paper containing the cracker dough to the cookie sheet.
- Lightly coat the crackers with cooking spray and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
- Bake the cookies for 18 minutes. At this point the crackers around the edges should appear golden and crispy. Carefully remove these crackers and place the cookie sheet back in the oven with the remaining crackers. Bake for an additional 5 minutes to get these center crackers crispy as well.
- Allow the crackers to cool completely before serving or storing.