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.
I am doing a NO fat diet, do you think it could work with no fat?
Thanks, T
I am trying these for the first time. I am taking the brown edge ones out of the oven earlier. I also turned my oven down to 275, at thee 1/2 point of baking. Has anyone else tried this???
These crackers are so addicting! They are light, crispy, tangy, and super easy. I used Bruschetta seasoning mix, which gave them a pizza-like flavor. I will definitely make them again and again! Thanks Amy!
I would love more guidance on how to get a consistent batch and what exactly you mean by “scoring.” My first pan was burnt at the 40-minute point and I had to toss. The 2nd time, despite trying to be consistent, the whole pan cooked at different temperatures, so I had to remove them early so that half didn’t burn. I can’t “score” these as I understand scoring; it tears the discard, even after 10 minutes. Instead, I used fork times to make holes (but don’t understand completely why you’ve included this instruction).
Like others, I reduced the salt & included everything bagel spices, as well as some other spices I had on hand. I also made one gruyere batch—awesome taste.
This is a terrific way to use up the discard. We felt that 2 tsp was far too much seasoning. Maybe if my herbs were fresh but for dried herbs, I will cut it in half along with the salt. On one batch I rough cut some craisins and used rosemary. They were similar to Trader Joes cracker. Keeping this recipe for sure, so much versatility of taste.
I found that the baking time didn't work for me. My first attempt with the specified baking time, they baking into the parchment and could not be removed. The crumbs were tasty. For my second attempt, I baked for the 10 minutes, scored, baked for 15 minutes, checked them, they were not done, baked for 5 minutes, flipped each cracker, baked 5 minutes, removed most of them, the crackers at the center were a little thicker so I left the thicker ones in for 5 more minutes. Scoring deeply is important if you want to flip and/or remove some of them. I mixed 1 1/2 tbl of everything bagel seasoning in with the discard and butter, and sprinkled a little more on the top. Did not use any additional salt. This is a simple, fast, and versatile cracker recipe. My discard is a mix of bread flour starter and einkorn flour starter. I'm building a rye starter and am looking forward to trying a rye starter version with caraway seeds.
These are delicious, and a great way to use up discard starter. I've made them twice, and the second time, I doubled the recipe!
I subbed the butter with olive oil (as vegan butter is hard to find at the moment due to lockdown) as saw in your notes that this worked except for altering the taste.
Unfortunately I think this may have caused them to cook quicker as when I checked them (still with 15min to go) most of them were inedibly burnt. The sides which weren't as burnt tasted ok so I'll make this again but will check every 5 minutes instead. Love that the recipe didn't ask for any more flour and I liked the savoury, tangy taste!
These are delicious and totally addictive, though I agree it’s way too much salt, and I cut back the butter as well (to about 1 Tbs per batch) and they’re still great. We’ve been making ours with “everything bagel” seasoning, and the sesame seeds in that add a really nice element.
These are the only reason I am keeping my sourdough starter going. Turns out I am not a fan, I've baked a few successful loaves but I found them underwhelming. These however, are so easy to make and so pleasant to snack on! And also a good way to use up underutilized spice mixes from the pantry.