According to me, there are almost only advantages to baking sourdough bread.
Sourdough bread has a superior taste. Some claim it is also healthier than bread baked on commercial yeast.
The list of benefits is long.
But there’s one thing I don’t like.
And that is when you have to waste a part of the starter when feeding it.
So what’s the solution?
I know it’s necessary. Otherwise, your starter will grow into monstrous proportions, but it still feels bad.
But I also know that there are things I can do with my discarded starter if I wasn’t so lazy. Pancakes, waffles, muffins, and much more.
One thing that I have always wanted to try is sourdough crackers.
I don’t know why I’ve never tried it before.
I mean, you only have to read a few recipes to realize that it’s quite simple. You can easily make them as a side project to your ordinary baking session.
MIXING THE DOUGH
Before we start, I should mention that there is a video showing the whole process. So if that is your preferred media you can watch it here.
There is no kneading required. You don’t even have to stretch and fold the dough. You don’t have to think about temperature, proofing time, or the risk of over-proofing or under-proofing the dough.
Sound good, doesn’t it.
It feels almost like cheating.
You just mix discarded starter with flour, butter, and salt. You can also add some dried herbs if you want. I used dried oregano, but feel free to use whatever you like and have available.
Form everything to a stiff dough with a rectangular shape.
If you prefer a tangier, sourdough taste, you can let the dough rest for a couple of hours. 7-8 hours is no problem.
If you’re in a hurry, you can continue to the next step immediately.
ROLL OUT THE DOUGH
Flour the working surface and the rolling pin. Some recipes suggest that you can roll out the dough directly on a piece of parchment paper. I missed that as you can see on the pictures. But it didn’t matter. The dough was quite simple to handle, and there were no difficulties in lifting it over to the parchment paper.
The rolled out dough should have a thickness of about 1/16″ (1.5 mm).
Brush with olive oil and cut the dough into squares with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Prick each square with a fork and sprinkle some sea salt on top.
TIME TO BAKE
These sourdough crackers should be baked on quite low heat, 350ºF / 175ºC.
They are ready after 20-25 minutes, or when the squares start to become brown around the edges.
I’m already addicted to these crackers. And that goes for the rest of the family as well. Two hours after I took them out of the oven, every little square was consumed.
The approach is almost the same as when I bake crispbread. But the taste is completely different. Wheat crackers remind me more of a snack.
I mean, imagine a big bowl of sourdough crackers together with some killer dips. The perfect start for any party.
Sourdough crackers
Ingredients
- 100 gram sourdough starter discarded. (Note 1)
- 60 gram Wheat flour
- 20 gram butter
- 2 teaspon dried herbs
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- olive oil for brushing
- Flake salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Mix discarded starter with flour, butter, herbs, and salt. Form everything to a stiff dough with a rectangular shape. Let the dough rest for 5-8 hours if you want a more sour taste. Otherwise, continue to the next step.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350ºF / 175ºC. Flour the working surface and the rolling pin. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1/16" (1.5 mm). Transfer the rolled out dough onto a parchment paper. Brush with olive oil and cut the dough into squares with a pizza cutter or a sharp knife. Prick each square with a fork and sprinkle some sea salt on top.
- Bake the crackers for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the squares start to become brown around the edges. Remove from oven and transfer to a cooling rack.
Notes
- The starter used in this recipe had a hydration of 100% (equal amount of water and flour by weight).
58 Comments
Lovely cracker recipe. I think I will try it out , it is so simple. I may sprinkle parmesan and chives towards the end of bake. Rosemary would also be good.
Thankyou for sharing. Yours look lovely.
Glad you liked it, Chris. Parmesan an chives just sound irresistibly delicious. I was actually choosing between oregano and rosemary. I think rosemary is a great choice, especially if you let the dough ferment for some hours, getting some sourness.
Hi. Does the discarded starter have to be active or can u use dormant starter to make these crackers ??
Hi Gail,
You can use a dormant starter. The only reason to add starter is to get taste and flavor.
Thankyou !!!
Thank you for making recipe compatible with “my cookbook” app. Love being able to save recipes in one place.
Yes, that helps a lot. Trying to save recipes in different systems always means that some of them get lost. At least for me.
Just tried these today. They did not last long once they came out of the oven. Very easy and VERY tasty.
Yeah, I know. They have a tendency to disappear very quickly. Glad you liked them, Bruce.
Hi
Do you think I could substitute the butter for olive oil? Would like to “vegan-ise” them.
Hi Sharon.
You may lose some of the “flaky crispness” if you know what I mean. Olive oil, in general, tends to have a softening effect on bread. But I can’t say that I’m sure. It’s worth trying.
I have an olive oil cracker recipe that I adore, so I think the substitution would work fine.
I’m sure it works fine with olive oil. You probably just have to adjust the proportions of the ingredients a bit. Is there a chance that you can share the recipe with us?
I replaced the butter with the same weight of olive oil and another time with rapeseed oil, without changing anything else, and both times the results were good.
I have made a few different sourdough cracker recipes and this one is the best yet. One adaptation I made was to use my freestanding pasta machine to get the dough a consistent thickness. It worked like a charm. I actually doubled the recipe, then cut the dough into four segments, feeding each one through only enough times to get the desired thickness.
Thanks for that great tip, Delia. I will try it next time I make these crackers. A pasta machine is incredibly versatile. I have read that it is excellent to make puff pastry with it also.
Using a pasta machine – what a fabulous idea! These are now on my TO DO list!!
Hello,
Is it possible to make this with less butter? Not that I’m anti-butter, but I don’t digest fat well and it cuts my appetite before I’ve eaten enough carbs. Anyway, would it come out ok or not roll well enough? I know for example that one can’t make tortillas without fat, but pizza doesn’t require any.
Your pictures look amazing!
I have been making these crackers on a weekly basis for years! I do all butter, add dried herbs and for an extra cheesy flavour I add nutritional yeast. I knead until the dough passes the windowpane test and they come out of the oven puffy and crispy and yummy!
Hi Casey,
I have never tried to make them with less fat so I don’t know. But I think it’s worth a try. I think you may have to add some extra water to compensate for the butter you remove, otherwise, the dough may become to dry.
Thanks for your encouraging word. It’s always welcome.
Excellent recipe. I used ½tsp of garlic salt, ½ TB of taragon, ½ TB of oregano, and 1TB of basil for the seasoning. They smell like pizza!
I’m glad you liked them, Mitchel. Sounds like a great seasoning combo you have there. I have to try it.
These are so good! They stay crispy, none of these floppy business after a couple of days. Made them with a spelt starter and spelt flour! Perfect. My kid says they taste even better when cut into stars!
I’m glad you liked them, Emily. I have never tried to make them with spelt flour, but it sounds like a winning concept. I’m will make a batch of them this weekend, and some of them will be cut into stars.
Very tasty thank you for this great idea to use the “extra” sourdough
My colleague at office loved them
i will make them again with zaatar for a change
dina
I’m so very glad you liked them, Dina. Zaatar sounds interesting. Please let us know about the result.
Awesome recipe! I used less flour for a wetter dough. For this reason it was hard to make nice rectangles but they turned out great anyway. Just plain, no spices. I used sunflower oil in dough and brushed on top. I would recommend it!
I’m glad you liked it.
Since these sound too good to miss I doubt you can answer this question but I will ask anyway. Do you know how long these will keep in an airtight container?
No, I’m afraid not. If they don’t disappear the same day, they rarely survive more than one or two days. Perhaps anybody else here has any info?
I have a 1ltr Kilner screw top jar where my rye-based starter grows. I never throw any away since it provides just enough for my baking needs. Problem solved. I keep a second jar to transfer the starter to every couple of weeks. I make bread using the dutch oven technique, pizza, english muffins (major yum) and blinis. I’ve been doing this for about 5 years now. The jar keeps in the fridge when we go away.
Sounds better than sitting here watching birds!
Perfect recipe! I used dill, marjoram, thyme and green peppercorns in my dough. They are delicious and I feel better about not wasting discarded starter. Thank you!
You are most welcome, Jyll.
I’ve been wanting to make crackers with my leftover starter for a long time. Saw your recipe and decided to try it. I am so glad I did! They are so easy and so delicious! Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m glad you liked them, Fathy. It’s a family favorite.
Can I make and freeze these crackers?
I really don’t know. I have never tried to freeze them as they use to disappear very quickly. I think it’s possible, but they may lose some crispiness.
Can I put dough into fridge overnight or it will be much too long ?
That works fine. I have done that myself a couple of times.
This was ridiculously easy! I had fresh rosemary and other dried herbs. I am very inspired to make more, maybe with seeds!
I’m glad to hear that. Anna.
Try seeds. It’s a treat.
Hi Tomas, I am enjoying your blog and recipes for sourdough. You write very well and your instructions are easy to follow but also thorough so I thank you very much! I hope you are well!
I am making herb crackers and breadsticks today so I don’t have to throw away any starter. Thanks again!
Hi Kelly,
Thanks for those kind words. It means a lot.
Never waste any sourdough starter. Its liquid gold. There are so many delicious things you can use it for.
Stay safe.
I’m just 2 weeks into my sourdough starter & have loved using the discard for pancakes and tortillas so next is your recipe! I do need to know what state the butter is in? Softened, cubed cold or melted? Already planning the dips to serve them with. Thanks for the recipe!
I use to add it cubed and cold. After some kneading, it will be mixed with the flour.
Ferment at room temp or in the refrigerator? If the later, do you warm to room temp. before baking?
No, I don’t. I have never found that necessary.
I am trying to figure out if you mean regular white flour or whole wheat flour. Can you please clarify? These look delicious. I am swimming in discard and looking for recipes. Thank you so much.
For this recipe, I have used regular white wheat flour. But I think using whole wheat works as well. Perhaps you need to add slightly more water if using whole wheat or stronger bread flour.
could i use my pasta machine to mix & extrude lasagna noodles that i can cut into cracker size
I suppose so. I have, however, never tried it with thgis dough.
Hi Tomas, I have a question abiut the flour. You mentioned regular flour above. Is it bread flour type with gluten or pastry flour?
Thank you.
Hi Florence,
When it comes to sourdough crackers, you can use whatever flour you have available. Bread flour or all-purpose flour, both work just fine. I have never tried pastry flour, but I think it works as well.
How long will they keep fresh?
I honestly don’t know. They use to disappear quickly. But I would guess at least one week if you store them in a container with a lid.
with wheat flour, do you mean bread flour? or can this be whole wheat?
The family’s go to cracker recipe! Simply delicious!!