Sourdough Starter Discard Crackers

Moreish herby sourdough crackers with a satisfying snap. Salty, herby and slightly sour, these Sourdough Starter Discard Crackers are one of our favourite snacks to take to work instead of crisps, but also perfect to add to any cheeseboard! And it’s an absolutely wonderful recipe to use up heaps of the starter discard!

I started making these sourdough crackers when I was desperate to use up some sourdough discard. I had almost a litre of the starter and I’d never been able to throw any of it away (I just can’t waste food! Just can’t…). This recipe uses a lot of your sourdough discard, and not much of anything else, but the result is… well, empty baking sheets before the crackers have even cooled, let alone made it to a snack bag for work…

What Ingredients Will You Need?

• flour: we use plain (all-purpose flour) but these discard cracekrs work well with a little spelt, wholemeal or rye flour mixed in too.
• herbs: use any dried herbs (fresh herbs are likely to burn and give bitter taste). We like shop-bought mixed herbs (thyme, oregano and basil).
• sourdough starter discard: this is unfed sourdough starter. It is ok to use starter that hasn’t beed fed for days, however if your starter has started forming a layer of liquid on top, these sourdough crackers will be extremely sour. We recommend to get rid of the ‘hooch’ (alcohol on top of the starter) before using.
• butter: we use unsalted butter and add some salt to the crackers. You can substitute it with salted butter and reduce the salt in the recipe.
• oil: olive oil is our preferred type of oil, but vegetable, sunflower or rapeseed oil will work well too.
• salt: coarse salt, like rock salt or sea salt will add nice little crystals to the top.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Crackers?

The dough is extremely easy to prepare: all you need is a bowl and a wooden spoon or a spatula.

First, melt the butter in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Make sure to take the butter off the heat before it starts bubbling. Then leave it to cool down slightly.

In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt and mixed herbs. Tip in the sourdough discard and butter, and mix well. Whilst you can mix by hand, it may be difficult to distribute the butter evenly across the dough, so a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment really helps here. However, don’t knead the dough for long, just enough to combine the ingredients.

Line two medium square/ rectangular dishes (Tupperware boxes work great for this) with clingfilm. Divide the dough between the two and press down into two rectangles. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge. The reason I chill the dough for at least 30 minutes is to make the fat in the dough solidify and make it less sticky to roll out. The discard crackers also turn out flakier using this method.

One of the most difficult tasks (but totally worth it) when making these crackers is rolling them out as thinly as possible. It is easiest to do on baking parchment cut to the size of your baking sheets: that way, you can easily transfer the rolled out dough onto the sheets and into the oven. Rolling requires both strength and patience. And most importantly, keep sprinkling the flour on top of the dough to prevent it from sticking to the rolling pin. Using a stainless steel rolling pin also helps heaps.

Using a pastry brush, cover the surface with oil and then sprinkle some coarse salt on top. Use a sharp long bladed-knife and press it down to cut the crackers (rather than cut along) or simply use a pizza cutter. There is no need to pull the crackers apart as they’ll shrink slightly when they cook and the ones that are still intact, you’ll be able to easily snap apart.

Bake the sourdough crackers for 15-20 minutes in the oven, preheated to 180 C Fan. The time will depend on how thinly you managed to roll the dough out. The edges will brown quicker, so I tend to remove the crackers all around the sides after 15 minutes, then return the rest to the oven for another 5 minutes.

How to Store the Crackers?

These crackers rarely last longer than a day, but you can definitely store them in an airtight container for up to a week. Pack them into bags and take them to work picnics or as a snack for a long drive/hike. Or try them with cheese and chutney to accompany your glass of wine.

Suggested Recipes For You To Try:

For more cracker ideas, have a look at our other recipes below:

• Sourodugh Cheese Crackers
• Fruit & Seed Sourdough Crackers
• Flaky and Buttery Cheese Crackers

And if you are looking to use up more of your sourdough starter discard, visit our Sourdough Discard Recipe Collection.