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.
Karen says
Ran across this recipe this morning and immediately had to try it - will definitely be making it many times in the future (probably tomorrow!). It definitely smells and tastes cheesy - my daughter smelled them baking when she got up and wanted to know why I was making pizza at 8 am! 🙂 So delicious - thank you! I love that I didn't need to roll them out. They stuck to the parchment so I think I'll try them on the silicone mat next time.
Marla says
This recipe is great and SO much simpler than other discard cracker recipes that still call for added flour (why?) BUT...I've made twice now and are nearly too dark in half the time, literally. My oven is not overly hot, but when I set timer at 20 min after the 10-min-then-score, it yields extremely dark brown crackers that look overdone. Im kind of shocked at how good they taste even at that color.I use olive oil and not butter, could that cause them to cook faster? I can't believe others can leave in for an extra 15-20 min! I also added rosemary into dough and sprinkle parmesan on top.
Hannah says
I keep making these and keep forgetting to comment! Simply, my fiance said "You make the best crackers EVER!" That comment sums this recipe up!
Side note: I add Italian seasoning and garlic salt. Always a hit!
Julie Murphy says
I made these and added grated Parmesan and garlic powder. They smelled amazing and unfortunately they got slightly burned although I pulled them out after 38 minutes so next time I’ll check sooner. Do you think these would work with cheddar cheese or should I find a powdered cheese to use in them for my husband?
Scot Quaranda says
Love them! I was getting tired of just using my scrap to make pancakes and this turned out great! I used zatar for my herb mixture, so savory and delicious! Thank you!!!
Diana says
Oh my goodness! I am obsessed with this recipe. It is the perfect amount of crispy and addicting! This can be whipped up in minutes, and it is eternally adaptable. We've made it at least five times in the past three days! Thanks for the share!
Carol says
Second batch made just tonight, and they are wonderful! Far prefer them to the rolled out cracker recipe I also tried. For me, total bake time was about 35 minutes. first batch went for 40+ and were a bit overdone. Flavor and crisp are the best!
Merrilea says
We did 2 quadruple batches of these yesterday. I LOVE them. Stuggling to cook them evenly.
I used Bragg's Organic Herb blend and a Paleo blend. So good. Will try parmesean next time.
Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Stephanie says
Did anyone have issues with the crackers sticking to the parchment paper? I love that this recipe is super simple and doesn’t take any extra flour!
Michelle Parkin says
This recipe is absolute perfection! I used olive oil instead of butter and LOADS of herbs. They taste like MORE! 🙂 Baked whole until they looked golden, removed and snapped into same-ish sized crackers. Brilliant and simple, thanks for sharing your recipe!