These crackers are so easy and delicious they seem too good to be true. They take only a few minutes to put together and use only simple ingredients; sourdough discard, butter, salt, and herbs. Because of the discard, they have a light cheesy flavor without actually adding cheese. There is no rolling of dough needed which means this recipe also creates minimal dishes, (which is always a win in my book). We love how wafer thin they are and the delicate crunch in every bite. It is great to have a batch of these on hand for easy snacks, or an addition to a snacky meal, or charcuterie board. The spices can easily be adjusted to whatever your personal preference is so have fun with them! Once you see how incredible these sourdough discard crackers are, you will want to always have a stash of them on hand.
Sourdough
I am always looking for a way to use my sourdough discard and this is one of our go-to sourdough discard recipes. There are so many ways to use up discard to minimize food waste. The slight tangy flavor that the addition of discard adds just adds to the richness of whatever recipe it is added to. We have added it to scones, cookies, tortillas, quick breads, and cake donuts. Those recipes immediately tasted better, and the best part is they can all be long fermented to make them easier to digest.
If you are overwhelmed by the whole process of sourdough, check out my sourdough e-book, “The Art of Sourdough“. It is the resource I wish I had when I was starting with sourdough. I was intimidated by all the different methods that were used, and some seemed so complicated I didn’t know where to start. Once I figured out all the tricks and had fallen in love with the process, I compiled a book so others could also fall in love with the art. It also contains another sourdough cracker recipe, that one was inspired by ritz butter crackers. It is a bit more complicated than this easy recipe, but so worth it.
Tools
Pan – I use this for melting butter because I do not use a microwave.
Measuring spoons
Spoon or whisk
Sheet tray
Parchment paper
Pizza cutter
Offset spatula (optional)
Ingredients
Basic ingredients for the batter
Sourdough discard: This recipe does not use flour, so the unfed starter is the base of the recipe. Since it is just made of flour and water, it is already fermented and the perfect texture. When nutritional yeast is added to a recipe, it adds a bit of a cheesy flavor. the wild yeasts in the sourdough do something similar, yielding the most incredible flavor. When I first made these, I would have thought they had parmesan cheese or cheddar cheese mixed into the dough!
Butter: The fat in the butter makes them a melt in your mouth texture. I use salted butter, but unsalted butter works just as well.
Salt: Without salt these would be very tart and also a bit bland. The salt enhances the flavors of the herbs and spices added and balances the sourdough flavor.
Pepper: I love a little pinch of black pepper in savory recipes like this.
Spices
The spices are to create a strong flavor profile. These are the go-to herbs that we add, but they can easily be customized.
Garlic powder
Oregano
Basil
Parsley
Flakey sea salt: This is optional, but I do think it makes the sourdough discard crackers seem a bit fancier and then there is a pop of salt in every bite. Crucial Four is the best flake salt that I have found so far!
Additional ingredients and substitutions
Oil: Butter yields the best flavor in my opinion, but a good oil like an extra virgin olive oil can be used instead as well. Rosemary olive oil sourdough discard crackers? Oh yes please!
Active sourdough starter: Because discard is so thin, it makes for much better crackers. Active starter can be used, but they will not turn out as thin and will not spread as evenly.
Garlic: Fresh garlic can also be used in place of the garlic powder. I do recommend using a garlic press or chopping it incredibly fine so there are not large chunks. Because these are baked for a while the garlic could burn resulting in a bitter flavor.
Fresh herbs: Fresh herbs can be used in place of the dried ones. I do recommend making sure they are chopped extremely fine so there are not big pieces of leaves or stems. They can also burn a little more easily. To fix this, mix them in very well so there are no bits sticking out of the batter when they are spread onto the sheet tray.
Whole wheat: if you feed your starter with whole wheat flour, then these will automatically be whole wheat crackers. A little bit of starter can also be taken aside and fed with whole wheat flour, then allowed to sit for a day or two until it is no longer active. Then you have a whole wheat base for the crackers.
Everything bagel seasoning: I have done this before, and it is incredible! Just leave out the other herbs and add 2-3 tsp. of the bagel spice into the batter. Sprinkle a little bit on top once they are spread out right before baking. The sesame seeds get a little toasted and they are just *chefs kiss*.
Let’s make sourdough discard crackers!
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Melt the butter in a pan and remove from the heat. Set it aside.
To a mixing bowl add the sourdough discard, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.
Mix until combined.
Pour in the melted butter. Warm is fine. It does not have to be completely cooled, but it should not be super-hot.
Mix with a spoon or a whisk until no streaks of butter remain.
Line a sheet tray with a piece of parchment paper.
Pour the sourdough mixture onto the sheet tray and spread into a thin layer as evenly as possible. It should cover just about the whole sheet tray.
Sprinkle flaky salt over the top of the batter in an even layer.
Bake for 10 minutes.
Remove the sourdough discard crackers from the oven and cut them into the desired shapes using a pizza wheel. This will score them, so they break apart easily when fully baked.
Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
If the batter was not spread evenly then some of the crackers will bake faster than others. Remove them as they get golden brown, so they do not burn.
Bake in 5-minute increments until they are done. Any additional bake time will depend on how thin the batter was spread, and how thick the sourdough discard was.
They will get crispier as they cool but if any are still a bit soft when they are fully cooled, bake them for another 3 minutes and check every minute after that until they are done.
Allow them to cool completely before storing them.
Enjoy!
Storing sourdough crackers
These crackers will store for up to two weeks in an airtight container at room temperature. I like to keep them in a glass jar so they do not get crushed, and I can avoid the toxins in plastics.
Long ferment?
Since we are not adding any more flour there is no need to long ferment these like a lot of other recipes. The discard has already long fermented so it is about as gut healthy as you can get!
Tips for success
Thin: You want these to be thin. If they are too thick, I find them to be too crunchy for my liking. When they are really thin they are almost melt in your mouth and have the texture of a wafer.
Spread evenly: If they are not spread evenly onto the baking sheet, some will bake much faster and if not careful, they can easily burn while the others are still soft. An offset spatula can be used to make the smoothing process easier.
I hope you love this homemade cracker recipe as much as we do. It is always such a delight hearing about how much you enjoyed a recipe or what you think could be improved. So, thank you for leaving a comment! Don’t forget to share with friends and family so they too can enjoy making sourdough discard crackers. Thank you!
Sourdough Discard Crackers
These crackers are so incredibly simple but taste gourmet. They are thin, crispy, and packed with lovely herby flavor. Only a few basic ingredients and the seasonings can ve easily customized.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 Tbsp. Butter
- 200 g Sourdough discard
- 1/2 tsp. Parsley
- 1/2 tsp. Basil
- 1/2 tsp. Oregano
- 1/2 tsp. Garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- Pinch of Black pepper
- 1/4 tsp. Flake salt (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Melt the butter and remove from the heat. Set it aside.
- To a mixing bowl add the sourdough discard, parsley, basil, oregano, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Mix until combined.
- Pour in the melted butter. It does not have to be completely cooled, but it should not be super-hot.
- Mix with a spoon or a whisk until no streaks of butter remain.
- Line a sheet tray with parchment paper.
- Pour the sourdough mixture onto the sheet tray and spread it thin and as evenly as possible. It should cover just about the whole sheet tray.
- Evenly sprinkle the flakey salt across the crackers.
- Bake for 10 minutes.
- Remove the crackers from the oven and cut them into the desired shapes using a pizza cutter. This will score them, so they break apart easily when fully baked.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 10 minutes.
- If the batter was not spread evenly then some of the crackers will bake faster than others. Remove them as they get golden brown, so they do not burn.
- Bake in 5-minute increments until they are done. They will get crispier as they cool.
- Allow them to cool completely before storing them.
- Store any leftover crackers in an airtight container, like a jar, for up to 2 weeks.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Experiment with spices and other flavor combinations! Add some other spices, herbs, and seasonings and have fun with it!
This recipe for sourdough discard crackers contains affiliate links. To learn more about how we use them, click here.
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