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    Home » SOURDOUGH » DISCARD

    Sourdough Starter Discard Crackers

    Published: October 10, 2020 · Updated: March 25, 2022 by Ieva · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    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…

    Sourodugh Discard Crackers in a white ramekin with lavender on the side.
    Take Me To:
    • What Ingredients Will You Need?
    • How to Make Sourdough Discard Crackers?
    • How to Store the Crackers?
    • Suggested Recipes For You To Try

    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.

    Mixed herbs are being tipped into the flour.
    Butter is being poured into the discard cracker mixture.

    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.

    The dough is being shaped into a rectangle inside a cling film-lined tupperware box.

    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.

    Oil is being brushed onto the rolled out cracker dough using a green pastry brush.
    Rolled out cracker dough cut into squares.

    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.

    Sourdough starters in a white ramekin on a wooden board.

    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!
    5 from 3 votes
    Print Recipe
    Prep Time 25 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Resting time 30 mins
    Total Time 1 hr 15 mins
    Course Snack
    Cuisine Sourdough
    Servings 80 crackers
    Calories 18 kcal

    Equipment

    • 2 Large Baking Sheets
    • Pastry Brush

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 110 g plain flour
    • ½ teaspoon coarse salt plus extra for sprinkling on top
    • 225 g sourdough starter discard/unfed (100% hydration)
    • 60 g unsalted butter melted
    • 2 tablespoon mixed herbs
    • 3 tablespoon olive oil for brushing

    Instructions
     

    • In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, sourdough starter discard, melted butter and herbs to make a smooth dough. It shouldn't be too sticky: if it is, add a teaspoon of flour.
    • Divide the dough in half and shape each half into a small rectangular slab and put them in square/rectangular Tupperware boxes, lined with cling film. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, until the dough is firm, but don't leave it longer than 2 hours or your crackers will be very sour.
    • Preheat the oven to 180°C Fan. Whilst it preheats, lay down 2 pieces of baking parchment that are each roughly the size of your baking sheets. Lightly flour your rolling pin, and the top of the dough.
    • Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough out onto your baking parchment as thinly as possible (1mm thin, if you can). The dough may have uneven edges but try to make it as even as possible.
    • Transfer the rolled out dough onto a baking sheet. Lightly brush the surface with oil and sprinkle your coarse salt over the top of the crackers. Cut the dough into squares with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.
    • Bake the crackers for 15-20 minutes, until crackers are starting to brown around the edges. You may want to reverse the baking sheets after 10 minutes: both top to bottom, and front to back – for a more even bake. Check the crackers after 15 minutes and remove the edge crackers that should now be cooked. Return the rest of the crackers (the ones in the middle) to the oven for a few more minutes to crisp up.

    Notes

    You don’t have to use mixed herbs, just see what you have in your cupboard: I’ve made them with rosemary and thyme and they were just as good. 
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 18kcalCarbohydrates: 2gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 15mgPotassium: 2mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 27IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 1mgIron: 1mg
    Keyword Cheese biscuits, Crackers, Sourdough crackers, Sourodugh snacks
    Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

    More DISCARD

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    • Easy Sourdough Lemon Muffins

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Florence Greber

      November 16, 2020 at 6:56 pm

      5 stars
      These are SO addictive. You are right about them not lasting long on the tray! I used half mixed herbs and half dried thyme and they are so tasty with lots of maldon salt sprinkled ontop before baking. They were also really easy, it’s nice to have a quick way to use sourdough discard with not too long resting and rising I can make them in the midweek!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        November 16, 2020 at 6:59 pm

        I know…I always eat a third of them whilst they’re still warm 🙂

        Reply
    2. Clare greber

      November 21, 2020 at 11:45 am

      5 stars
      These are seriously delicious! Lovely and crispy and so quick to make. I was even surprised how thin I managed to roll them. Think my oven was a bit too hot so after 15 mins they were done. Next time will try rye flour mix too. Thanks for another great recipe Ieva .Having for lunch with homemade hummus. Yum!

      Reply
      • Ieva

        November 21, 2020 at 2:59 pm

        Thank you! We love them because they’re so quick to make, but they don’t last long…

        Reply

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    Hi, I am Ieva – the face behind this blog. I live in North Wales with my husband Seb and our golden retriever Sawyer. It’s safe to say that I live and breathe food: from researching and reading about food to creating new recipes and growing vegetables to use in my cooking.  The great thing is, Seb appreciates all the good meals that are also essential at his worst ‘hangry’ moments! Somebody HAS to feed Seb…

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