Sourdough Discard Crackers
These sourdough discard crackers are an easy way to use leftover sourdough starter. Made with rosemary, olive oil, and salt, they bake into crisp homemade crackers with plenty of flavor. Serve them on a cheese board, alongside soup, or enjoy them on their own.
Why we love sourdough discard crackers
- They are super versatile. They are easy to customize with different herbs, spices, cheeses, and toppings. We love making them with rosemary, olive oil, and coarse salt, but the flavor options are endless.
- Less food waste. Using leftover sourdough starter means you can turn sourdough discard into something useful and delicious instead of throwing it away.
- Great for serving. These homemade crackers are perfect for snacking, cheese boards, soups, or simple appetizers.
Ingredients you will need
Sourdough discard: This recipe uses sourdough discard, which is the leftover starter removed before feeding. If you do not have one yet, check out my guides on how to make a sourdough starter and how to feed a sourdough starter.
Flour: All-purpose flour gives these sourdough discard crackers structure and helps create a crisp texture.
Rosemary: Fresh rosemary gives these sourdough discard crackers their savory flavor. We love the combination of rosemary, olive oil, and flaky salt, but dried rosemary works well too.
Salt: A little salt adds flavor and brings out the rosemary and sourdough flavor. Coarse salt works well as a topping for extra texture.
My favorite variations
Whole wheat: For whole-wheat sourdough crackers, replace the flour with whole-wheat flour and use a whole-wheat sourdough starter.
Cheese: Add 1/4 cup (40 grams) of grated cheese to the dough for amazing sourdough cheese crackers.
Sea salt and black pepper: Leave out the rosemary and add 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper.
How to make sourdough discard crackers
For this recipe, you can add all the ingredients to a large bowl and knead until smooth. No need to mix the wet and dry in two separate bowls!
Once your dough looks like this and is still a little bit sticky, you can wrap it in plastic wrap and let it firm up in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. For extra flavor, you can let the dough ferment in the fridge overnight.
Now it’s time to roll out the dough. I like to roll it out on a lightly floured surface, but you can also place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. You want your dough to be 1/16 inch thick before you cut it into the desired shape.
To cut the dough, I like to use a pizza cutter. This creates crackers with niche clean edges, but you can absolutely use a knife. Don’t make the crackers too big, and make sure they are all the same size to make sure they bake evenly
My tips for the best sourdough discard crackers
- Roll the dough thin. Thin dough gives you crisp sourdough discard crackers. If the dough is too thick, the crackers can turn out chewy instead of crunchy.
- Watch them closely while baking. Thin crackers can go from perfectly golden to overbaked quickly. Start checking a few minutes before the baking time is up.
- Season to your taste. Rosemary, olive oil, and flaky salt are our favorite combination, but these sourdough discard crackers work well with parmesan, garlic, black pepper, or everything bagel seasoning.
- Place the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. The dough for sourdough discard crackers can be a bit sticky. If you don’t want to add more flour, you can roll it out between two pieces of parchment paper.
faq
Yes, an active starter will work in this recipe. The texture may vary slightly, but the crackers will still bake up crisp and flavorful.
The dough was likely rolled too thick, or the crackers needed a little more baking time. Let them cool completely; they continue to crisp up as they cool.
Yes. Dried rosemary works well if you do not have fresh rosemary on hand. Use less dried rosemary since the flavor is more concentrated.
Storage
Store sourdough discard crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Let them cool completely before storing so they stay crisp. If they lose some of their crunch, warm them in the oven for a few minutes.
You can also freeze sourdough discard crackers for up to 2 months. Let them cool completely, then store them in a freezer-safe container or bag. Thaw at room temperature and warm in the oven for a few minutes before serving.
More of our favorite sourdough discard recipes
Sourdough Discard Crackers with Rosemary and Olive Oil
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary chopped
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt topping
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients except the sea salt to a large bowl.
- Knead everything together until you have a smooth dough. If it is too dry, you can add a little bit of water.
- Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and let it rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Take the dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a lightly floured work surface. The dough should be 1/16 inch thick.
- Brush the oil on the dough, and sprinkle the chopped rosemary and sea salt over the oil.
- Cut the dough into small squares and carefully transfer them to your lined baking tray.
- Place the baking tray in the center of the oven and bake your sourdough discard crackers for 20-25 minutes until golden.
- Let them cool on a cooling rack completely to become crispy before storing them in an airtigh container.
Notes
- Let the dough rest overnight for extra flavor.
- Use different toppings.
- If you don’t have a starter yet, check out our guide on how to make a sourdough starter from scratch in 8 days.
- You can also use a whole wheat sourdough starter to make these crackers.
I’ve made these many times and they are SO good, so simple! Love it. Hoping over to visit from the FB group, have a great week.
–
Amber
-The Hungry Mountaineer