Not quite ready to bake another loaf, but wondering what to do with that sourdough discard? These easy sourdough discard crackers are the answer and are asked for WEEKLY in my household. Crunchy, crispy, and flaky with that perfect sourdough tang (and a hint of rosemary), they’re ideal for dipping and snacking!
Making crackers sounds like quite the task but what if I told you it’s one of the easiest things I’ve been making, and with such a high return?! If you’re a sourdough girly like me, you know the pain of needing to feed your starter but not knowing what to do with that discard. It’s been working so hard to grow and sustain your sourdough baking habit. It would be such a shame to just toss it. Enter sourdough discard crackers. My new favourite thing.
You can make them from active sourdough starter or (honestly, better yet) from dormant starter straight from the fridge. You just have to mix it with some seasonings, a little extra flour, and some olive oil to make a dough. The dough gets rolled thin, cut into crackers, and baked. Easy as that. The crackers are thin, crispy, crunchy, and flaky, and they have this craveable tangy sourdough flavour. They’re the perfect snack or addition to your Vegan Charcuterie Board and something my family and friends alike love devouring.
Why You Should Make Sourdough Discard Crackers
Sourdough bakers need this recipe in their back pocket. Here’s why:
- This recipe is perfect for days when you don’t want to toss half your starter before feeding it, but you don’t have the time to take on a full loaf. And your starter doesn’t even need to be active. This can be that first discard when you wake your starter up after it’s been dormant in the fridge for days/weeks.
- These are so crispy and flaky. Perfect cracker texture, if you ask me. And they take on that delicious sourdough tang from the starter (with a little help from some lactic acid). Once you try them (and see how easy they are to make), you might just give up store-bought crackers.
- There’s a lot you can do with this recipe. I went with a classic rosemary flavour, but you can really have at it with any seasonings you’d like. I chat about a few fun variations a little later, but I would love to hear what you come up with.
Notes on Ingredients
This sourdough discard cracker recipe requires a handful of ingredients that you might already have in your kitchen. Here’s a checklist for you (see the recipe card for precise measurements):
- All-purpose flour – You could use a 1:1 gluten-free flour if you prefer.
- Nutritional yeast – Savoury, nutty, and cheesy, the nutritional yeast adds a nice depth.
- Seasonings – Kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried rosemary, and ground black pepper.
- Lactic acid powder – It adds this subtle, tangy, cheesy flavour that I love. If you don’t have any, I would swap the nutritional yeast for two tablespoons of Vegan Parmesan Cheese to ensure you get enough of that vegan cheesy goodness.
- Sourdough discard – This is the portion of a sourdough starter that often gets thrown away before a feeding. I hate to see it go to waste. It gives these crackers such a nice tang.
- Olive oil – For the dough and for brushing the crackers before they go in the oven. Choose one you enjoy on its own. I always reach for a young extra virgin olive oil.
- Flaky sea salt – To sprinkle over the tops of the crackers before baking.
How to Make Sourdough Crackers
Grab your starter from the counter (or the fridge) and get started. Here’s a quick look at how to make these easy discard crackers (for more detailed instructions, see the recipe card below):
- Make the dough. Stir together the flour, nutritional yeast, seasonings, and lactic acid powder. Then, stir in the sourdough discard and olive oil until fully incorporated. Mix for 3 minutes.
- Create layers. Shape the dough into a loose rectangle, then use your hands to repeatedly fold it over and into itself, turning 90° between each fold. Do this about 5 times to create flaky crackers.
- Chill. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (preferably 24 hours)
- Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
- Roll the dough out. Divide the dough in half and roll each out between two sheets of parchment paper to about 1/16 inch (1.5mm).
- Cut the crackers. Cut the crackers into 1-inch (2.5cm) squares.
- Poke holes. Prick each cracker 2-3 times with a fork.
- Prep to bake. Brush the crackers with a little olive oil, sprinkle with sea salt, and transfer the cracker-loaded parchment paper to a baking sheet.
- Bake. Bake on the middle rack for 22-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway.
- Cool. Let the crackers cool on the baking sheet at room temperature for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips
- Make those layers. You know that step where you fold the dough over and onto itself a few times? Don’t skip that. It will help make these crackers nice and cruchy/flaky.
- Chill the dough. This dough needs to chill for at least 30 minutes before you roll it out, but I highly recommend giving it 24 hours in the fridge if you can. During this time, it will develop a stronger sourdough flavour you wouldn’t get with a shorter chill time.
- Don’t skip the parchment paper. Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper. Otherwise, it will stick to your work surface and rolling pin and be incredibly difficult to work with.
- Nice and thin (and even). Roll the cracker dough as thin as possible for the crispiest, crunchiest, flakiest results. Also, aim for even thickness for even baking.
- Prick. Pricking the crackers with a fork helps them lie flat. If you skip this step, they’ll puff up in the oven.
- Rotate the sheet pan. Be sure to rotate the sheet pan about halfway through the baking time for even baking.
- Let ’em cool. You want to give these crackers 5 minutes to cool on the baking sheet, then at least 15 minutes on the wire rack. They will continue to crisp up during this time.
FAQ
I’ve pulled together some of the most commonly asked questions I get about this easy cracker recipe so I could answer them for you all in one place. Voila:
Because these crackers don’t need to rise, you can absolutely use an “inactive” starter cold from the fridge. The purpose of the starter in this recipe is to give the crackers that tangy, sourdough flavour, which is actually stronger in a starter that’s been dormant in the fridge for a bit.
Good question! This can happen for a few reasons, but it all comes down to moisture. Too much of it. Your crackers may have too much moisture because they weren’t baked for long enough, weren’t rolled thin enough, or weren’t allowed to cool all the way. They can be too wet because your sourdough starter has a higher moisture content.
Humidity can also play a role here. If you live in a very humid environment and these crackers sit out for too long, they may turn chewy. So be sure to store them in an airtight container.
When stored in an airtight container at room temperature, these crackers will keep for about a week. See the section below titled “How to Store” for more information.
Flavour Variations to Try
I did a rosemary olive oil discard cracker this time, but there are countless ways to season these bad boys to your liking. Here are a few of my other faves:
- Everything bagel. Swap the seasonings out for everything bagel seasoning and chow down. I’ll sometimes smear mine with a little Vegan Cream Cheese.
- Dill pickle crackers. Trust me on this one. Nix the current seasoning mix and use a combo of dried dill, onion powder, and garlic powder instead. Add a little extra lactic acid powder to boost the tang and call it a day.
- Middle Eastern flair. Opt out of the rosemary and onion powder and add a little za’atar and finely grated lemon zest to the dough. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and flaky salt just before baking. I love these with my Homemade Vegan Tzatziki.
How to Store
- Countertop: The best way to store these crackers is in an airtight container at room temperature. They’ll keep for about one week. I usually just add them to a compostable airtight zipped bag.
- Refrigerator: I don’t recommend storing sourdough starter crackers in the fridge, as they will lose their crunch. That said, you can wrap the dough in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for 24-48 hours before rolling it out.
- Freezer: I would not recommend freezing these crackers either, but you can wrap the dough in a double layer of plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let it thaw in the fridge before you roll, cut, prick, and bake it.
If your crackers lose some of their crunch after a few days, you can spread them over a sheet pan and bake ’em at 300°F (150°C) for a few minutes. Let them cool before diving back in.
More Easy Homemade Snacks
Looking for more homemade snack ideas? Great! Here are just a few I’ve been coming back to over the years:
- Vegan Cheez-Its
- Crispy Beet Chips
- No-Bake Carrot Cake Energy Bites
- Best Kale Chips Recipe
- Homemade Vegan Salami Recipe
Enjoy friends! If you make these sourdough discard crackers, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love it if you would leave a comment below and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Sourdough Discard Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 120g
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast 10g
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt 4g
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder 1.5g
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder 0.5g
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1g
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 1g
- ¼ teaspoon lactic acid powder 1g
- 1 cup sourdough discard 200g
- ¼ cup olive oil 60ml
- Extra olive oil for brushing on top
- Flaky sea salt for topping
Instructions
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Make the dough. In a large bowl, stir together the flour, nutritional yeast, kosher salt, garlic powder, onion powder, dried rosemary, ground black pepper, and lactic acid powder until fully mixed.
Add the sourdough discard and olive oil, and using a spatula, mix until fully incorporated and a dough comes together, about 3 full minutes of mixing/kneading.
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Create layers. Shape the dough slightly into a rectangle, and using your hands, fold the dough over and onto itself. Flatten the dough a bit, turn 90°, and fold it onto itself again, essentially creating layers. Repeat the process of flattening, turning, and folding over the dough at least 5 more times. This will help with the flaky final results of the crackers.
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Chill. Wrap the dough in a sealed wrap, or place it in an airtight Ziploc bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while the oven preheats, or for 24 hours for the flavours to truly deepen (I highly recommend 24 hours if you can).
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Preheat the oven. Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C).
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Roll the dough out. Remove the dough and divide into two separate doughs (you’ll need two separate baking sheets or freeze one until later). Place one of the doughs on parchment paper or a silicone mat and mold loosely into a rectangular shape.
Add a sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough and, using a rolling pin, roll the dough on the parchment paper to less than 1/16 inch (1.5mm), aka, as thin as you can.
This will guarantee a nice, crispy, and flaky cracker. Rolling onto the parchment paper instead of directly onto the dough helps to prevent the dough from sticking or tearing and creates a completely smooth rolling process.
Try to roll it as evenly as possible as well to ensure the crackers bake evenly. I rolled mine into an 11” x 15” rectangle (28 x 38cm), for example, but it’s more important that it’s evenly thin.
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Cut the crackers. Using a knife or a pastry cutter, cut the crackers into 1-inch (2.5cm) squares, up and down the dough.
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Poke holes. Using a fork, prick each cracker twice or three times (this is a quick process!). It helps to keep the crackers flat. I have forgotten this step, and they still baked well, just more puffed.
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Brush with oil. Brush a very thin layer of oil (no more than 2 teaspoons/10ml per dough) over the top of the crackers, then sprinkle evenly with flaky sea salt.
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Bake. Transfer the cracker-loaded parchment paper (or silicone mat) to the baking sheet, and put it in the oven on the middle rack. Bake the crackers for 22-25 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway for even baking.
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Cool. Remove from the oven, let them cool for 5 minutes until cool enough to touch, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Chill the dough. This dough needs to chill for at least 30 minutes before you roll it out, but I highly recommend giving it 24 hours in the fridge if you can for the best sourdough flavour.
- Use parchment paper. Roll the dough out between two sheets of parchment paper to avoid a sticky mess.
- Thin (and even). Roll the dough as thin as possible and aim for even thickness for even baking.
- Cool. Give these crackers 5 minutes to cool on the baking sheet, then let them cool completely on a wire rack. They will continue to crisp up during this time.
- Storage. Seal the crackers in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for up to 1 week.