Easy Sourdough Discard Cracker Recipe

Sourdough discard crackers are easily our favorite way to use up sourdough discard. This sourdough cracker recipe whips up quickly and never last long in our house. This blogpost will cover how to make easy and delicious homemade sourdough crackers that your whole family will enjoy. 

What are sourdough discard crackers?

Sourdough crackers are made with the discard that is left after feeding your sourdough starter. It is a great way to use up all that excess discard. The flavor possibilities are endless: make them with olive oil and salt, cheddar cheese, or even your favorite dried herbs or herb combinations. 

What is sourdough discard?

Sourdough starter should ideally be fed daily when it is not in the fridge. Opinions on how to feed a sourdough starter vary, but I generally discard about half of mine and then feed it equal parts flour and water. I always feed with fresh milled whole wheat flour or rye flour. Each time I feed my sourdough starter I add my discard to a jar in the fridge and then pull it out when I am ready to cook or bake with discard. It’s important to note that sourdough discard is essentially unfed starter and it is not active so it will not be able to make bread rise, but it still has a wonderful flavor profile that can be used to achieve that sourdough flavor in things like tortillas, crackers, egg bakes, and pancakes. For more on feeding a sourdough starter, check out this blog post.

What ingredients do you need to make sourdough discard crackers?

Unfed starter (discard) – This is the sourdough discard, or the portion that is left when you feed your sourdough starter. 

Flour – For this recipe you can any flour that you like I prefer to use whole wheat flour, but all purpose flour works well too. I have also used einkorn flour and they turned out great!

Unsalted Butter – Butter is the fat in these crackers that hold everything together and gives the crackers that lovely flaky, crunchy texture.

Salt – of course it goes without saying that if you are making crackers, they must be salted. 

Olive oil – The top of the cracker dough is brushed with olive oil before baking to help them brown and get extra crispy.

​What variations of these crackers can you make?

There are multiple ways you can make these crackers. For a fun twist, try adding shredded cheddar cheese to make a cheese cracker. They are also delicious with herbs such as garlic powder and Italian seasoning or even herbs and cheese together. Have fun experimenting with different flavors until you find one you love.

What tools do you need to make sourdough discard crackers?

Large bowl – Glass mixing bowls are my favorite, but use what works best for you. 

Wooden spoon – You’ll need a wooden spoon or fork to mix the ingredients together. A fork works well to incorporate the butter into the flour and discard, but a wooden spoon is also nice to have on hand to really bring everything together. 

Baking sheet – Go with your favorite here, I generally use a metal 9×13 inch baking sheet. 

Parchment paper – You’ll roll the cracker dough out on parchment paper and then transfer the whole thing to your sheet pan for baking. This prevents the crackers from tearing as you try to transfer.

Pizza cutter – This is optional, but I have found a pizza cutter to work really well for cutting the cracker dough before it is baked. If you don’t want to use a pizza cutter, a sharp knife works well too. 

Plastic wrap – This is to wrap the dough in to chill it prior to rolling out and baking. 

Rolling pin – You will need a rolling pin to roll the dough out nice and thin. 

Extra flour – You’ll want to have some extra flour on hand to dust the parchment paper and rolling pin to prevent the dough from sticking. 

Cooling rack – The longer the crackers cool and dry out, the more they will retain their crispy texture. 

How do you serve sourdough discard crackers?

Honestly, we generally eat sourdough discard crackers warm, straight out of the oven. I rarely put them away because we eat them so quickly and they are just that delicious. Often, I will serve them with cheese and meat on a charcuterie board for a snack lunch, with a little herbed cream cheese, or your favorite dip. You can eat sourdough crackers any way that you would eat regular crackers and they will be delicious. 

How do you store sourdough crackers?

Before you store your crackers you will want to make sure that they are good and cool. Then you will store them in an airtight container or bag. I like to store mine in a glass jar because it looks pretty and keeps the air out. If you do not let your crackers cool long enough before storing, they will absorb moisture and become soft. 

​How do you make these crackers crunchy?

The key to crunchy crackers is two things: one, roll them as thin as possible and allow them to cook until they are golden brown. The thicker the dough is, the harder it will be to get a crunchy cracker. Two, allow your crackers to cool at room temperature for a couple of hours before storing. 

What is the process for making sourdough discard crackers?

To make sourdough discard crackers, combine flour, sourdough discard, and softened butter to your mixing bowl. Use a fork to work the butter into the flour and stir well. Switch to a wooden spoon when the dough becomes thick and difficult to work with. Divide dough into two sections and wrap each in plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to three days. About 10 minutes before you roll out the dough you will want to pull it out of the fridge to soften a little. 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. On a work surface, spread a piece of parchment paper and dust it with flour. Roll out the cracker dough into a rectangular shape as thin as you can. This will take some time to get it evenly rolled, but you want it to be thin or the crackers will not get crispy. Once the dough is rolled thin, drizzle it with olive oil and then sprinkle salt on top. Redmond Real Salt is my absolute favorite salt for cooking and baking. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut your cracker dough into small squares. Transfer the parchment paper to sheet pan and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Let cool completely before storing or they will get soft. For best results, I like to let mine air dry for 12 hours on the counter, if they last that long. Store in an airtight container for up to a week. The fresher they are the better!

Homemade crackers have incredible flavor and are a delicious way to use up all that extra sourdough discard. Be sure and tag me if you try these, I’d love to see how they turn out!