Sourdough Discard Crackers
Sourdough discard crackers are thin, crispy and have that amazing tang that you can only get with real sourdough!
You'll never want to throw away your sourdough discard after you taste these addictive crunchy crackers!
Consider this your new "no-waste" recipe when it comes to sourdough baking. If you have a sourdough starter and you're tired of throwing out the discard, you'll want to start saving it for sure!
TIP - Keep a separate glass jar in your fridge specifically for sourdough discard. Instead of throwing your discard away after a feeding, add it to the jar until you have enough to make a sourdough discard recipe!
The discarded starter imparts a tangy, almost cheesy flavor into the cracker that is perfect on a charcuterie board with meats and cheeses or paired with dips like hummus.
They are so thin and crispy too. I promise you will become totally addicted!
There's only 4 ingredients; sourdough starter discard, melted butter, dried herbs and salt.
Trust me, this is a sourdough discard recipe that you're going to want to make over and over again!
If you like crackers, make sure to try our sourdough butter crackers too!
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Step by step instructions
This recipe is so easy, let's dive straight into the details!
1. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and tear a piece of parchment paper big enough to cover a baking sheet. Melt the butter in a mixing bowl.
2. Weigh the sourdough starter discard in the mixing bowl with the melted butter and add the dried herbs and salt.
3. Stir until the ingredients are well combined.
4. Use an off-set spatula to spread a very thin, even layer of the mixture onto the parchment paper.
5. Place the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and sprinkle the top of the batter evenly with ½ teaspoon of salt.
6. Bake for 10 minutes, remove and score the crackers with a knife or a pizza cutter into squares. Return to the oven and bake an additional 40-50 minutes, making sure they don't over-bake.
7. Remove the crackers from the oven and let cool completely before breaking into pieces. Store in an air-tight container at room temperature for up to 7 days.
Tips for success
- Butter definitely gives the sourdough discard crackers the best flavor, but they can be made with other fats. I tested this recipe with olive oil but found that it tasted more oily than tangy. If you decide to use olive oil, I would make sure it is the highest quality you can find in order to get the best flavor.
- Because this is a cracker recipe without added flour, the batter is very thin and spreadable. I use parchment paper to hold the batter while baking but you could also use a silicone baking mat.
- The discard can be mixed with the other ingredients cold, right out of the fridge, or at room temperature.
- The crackers can be scored after they have baked and "set-up" for about 10 minutes if you would like a uniform cracker. If you'd like a more "rustic" cracker, let them bake without scoring and simply break them apart after they have cooled completely.
- Check your crackers around the 30-40 minute mark. Oven temperatures vary, so your crackers may be ready sooner!
- These crackers can be seasoned in so many different ways. Any fresh or dried herbs will work. Think rosemary or thyme! You can also use hard cheeses like parmesan stirred into the mixture or sprinkled on top before baking.
How to store
- Store the crackers in an air-tight container such as a mason jar with a tight lid, or a Weck jar. They can be stored at room temperature for up to a week.
Recommended kitchen tools
- silicone baking mat (affiliate link)
- offset spatula (affiliate link)
We've got other recipes that you can make with your discard like sourdough seed crackers, sourdough butter crackers, sourdough pizza crust, sourdough chocolate chip cookies, sourdough cinnamon rolls, sourdough naan and sourdough tortillas, so make sure to check them out too!
And don't forget to pin this recipe for later!
Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- ¾ cup (200 g) discarded sourdough starter (stirred down)
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter (melted)
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) fine sea salt
- 2 teaspoons dried herbs (Herbs de Provence)
- ¼ teaspoon (1 g) salt for sprinkling on top
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 325°F (162°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter in a mixing bowl and let cool.
- Weigh the sourdough discard, dried herbs and salt into the bowl of melted butter and mix thoroughly until well combined. Use an off-set spatula to spread the mixture in a thin, even layer onto the parchment paper. Sprinkle the top with salt.
- Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and score the crackers. Bake for an additional 20-50 minutes or until the crackers are golden brown. Let cool completely before breaking into squares. (Oven temperatures vary, check the crackers after 20 minutes into baking to make sure they do not over bake. See notes.)
NOTES
- Because these crackers are so thin, in some ovens they can brown quite quickly. I recommend checking them at the 20 minute mark the first time you bake them to make sure they do not over bake and burn. Adjust your baking time accordingly!
- The discard can be used either, cold, right out of the fridge or at room temperature.
- Store in an air-tight container for up to one week at room temperature.
- Fresh herbs and grated hard cheeses can be added to create different flavors.
- Scoring the crackers is optional. The sheet can easily be broken into pieces after baking and cooling off.
Hi! I've made this recipe many times now, always great! First did a rosemary flavour. Next I did lemon zest, black pepper, parmesan - also fantastic! I've since been inspired by chip flavours. I did BBQ with a homemade BBQ seasoning (some in the discard, but mostly just tossed them in the spices afterward). Now I just made a salt & vinegar flavour, and they're my favourites! So delish and versatile, thanks!
These crackers were amazing. So easy to make and so delicious. They quickly disappeared and wish I had more discarded starter to make another batch.
Thank you for sharing this fantastic recipe. I will certainly be making these weekly.
I will try these tomorrow. But spreading by hand obviously makes for some thicker and some thinner crackers, hence the outer ones cook faster. Did you have this issue? Also, Do you take them out when they’re fully crisp and hard or take them out when they’re just about done where they stiffen up as they cool?
I'm thinking of embarking on my own sourdough starter journey but I'm trying to figure out how to reduce waste from the discarding, especially during that first week of building up the starter... for these crackers, can I use the discards from that first week or does this recipe only work with "mature" discarded starter? Thank you!
Yes you can!
I love this recipe. We make it about once a week. I found that spreading the mixture between two silpats was easier for me. I just put the mixture in the middle and put the other one on top and use my hands to spread it out. The top silpat comes off easily and the crackers come out nice and thin. I also bake them at 300 degrees, because my oven is a bit unreliable. They take longer, but have a better finish. Thank you for sharing.
I made these and unfortunately the oven temperature was too high but that was my fault because I forgot that a fan oven should be 20 degrees lower than a non-fan oven. I am going to have another go and next time will be more careful with the oven temp. Quick and easy to make and delicious!
These crackers are delicious and so easy to make. Pancakes made with starter are also good, especially with a little sugar and lemon juice.
These are amazing! I used Trader Joe’s Everything but the Bagel seasoning.
Making again for the super bowl!
Thank you for sharing!
I wanted to love everything bagel topper from Trader Joe's but for some reason I found it incredibly salty ( and I like and use salt regularly) so I made my own and keep it in the freezer to use as needed. That being said I'm going to try it on my sourdough discard cracker
I use mrs dash everything but the salt, it has all the ingredients of everything but the bagel but without any salt.
I make these almost every Saturday. Herbs de Provence is my favorite followed by everything bagel sprinkled on top of plain crackers. I check them often at the end removing done crackers and returning the pan for another 5 min at a time until all are baked to perfection.
Absolutely LOVE these crackers! I just stir Parmesan into the batter and sprinkle a little salt on the dough. Bake on Silpat and they are delicious just plain!! I make extra starter just to have the crackers. Leftover starter no longer a problem!!
This recipe is outstanding. The crackers disappear within 15 minutes of coming out of the oven, even when the recipe is doubled. I use Trader Joe's "Everything But the Bagel" seasoning instead of herbs de Provence.
What offset spatula are you using in this video? Silver and red...
The brand is Oneida and it's called an icing spatula. I believe I found it at a store called Tuesday Morning or it may have been Home Goods! Here is the link to their site https://www.oneida.com/oneida-icing-spatula.html