Sourdough Discard Crackers
Sourdough crackers turn your extra starter into a thin, crisp sheet of toasted dough. You mix the starter with flour, salt, and fat, roll it thin enough to see light through, and bake until the edges are deep brown and the center snaps cleanly.
Consistency is about the roll, not the dough.
Your starter does not need to be active or bubbly, as this is a quick-bread style cracker. The goal is an even thickness; if the dough is uneven, the thin parts will burn before the thick parts are crisp.
- rolling pin
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- bench scraper or knife
What goes in.
- 1 cupsourdough starter (discard)
- 1/2 cupall-purpose flour
- 2 tbspolive oil or melted butter
- 1/2 tspfine sea salt
- 1 tbspseeds (sesame, poppy, or nigella)
Thin as paper
Roll the dough directly between two sheets of parchment paper. If you don't roll it thin enough to be translucent, the center will stay chewy instead of shattering when you bite it.
The method.
Mix the base
Combine the starter, flour, oil, and salt in a bowl until a shaggy, firm dough forms. If it is too sticky to handle, add a tablespoon of flour at a time.
Chill the dough
Wrap the ball of dough and set it in the fridge for 15 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes it easier to roll without snapping back.
Roll and shape
Place the dough between two sheets of parchment. Roll from the center outward until the sheet is roughly 1/8 inch thick. Remove the top sheet of paper.
Season
Brush the surface lightly with water or oil and sprinkle with seeds and coarse salt. Use a knife to score the dough into your preferred cracker shapes.
Bake
Slide the parchment onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 25 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through. They are done when the edges are deep amber and the crackers have dried out completely.
Other turns to take.
Herbed
Fold two teaspoons of dried rosemary or thyme into the dough during the mixing stage.
Cheesy
Add two tablespoons of finely grated parmesan into the dough for a deeper, toasted profile.
When it doesn't go to plan.
If the center of the sheet is still soft after 25 minutes, remove the crispy outer crackers and put the remaining soft ones back in for 5 more minutes.
Do not skip the scoring step; if you don't cut the lines before baking, you will end up with irregular shards instead of uniform crackers.
Let the crackers cool completely on a wire rack to ensure maximum crispness.
The ones that keep coming up.
Can I use active starter?
Yes, but it makes no difference for this recipe. Save your active starter for bread.
How do I store them?
Keep them in an airtight container at room temperature. They stay crisp for about three to four days.
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