Delightfully tangy and totally addicting, these crunchy Sourdough Discard Crackers come together so quickly and disappear even faster. The combination of olive oil, rosemary, and parmesan make them so special, savory, and irresistible. Trust me when I say you'll want to make a double batch!
Recipe Background and Details
This cracker recipe is almost too easy. The hardest part is making the little holes with a fork (which you can totally skip, by the way). I've been tinkering with this one off and on for awhile now and I am finally sharing it and adding it to my collection of discard recipes including: Sourdough Discard Sandwich Bread, Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls, and Sourdough Discard Banana Bread. You all have been loving these discard recipes and I have plenty more coming!
Serve these crackers on a charcuterie board with Baked Brie with Fig Jam, or add them to my addicting Garlic Parmesan Cracker Snack Mix along with my Sourdough Cheese Crackers AKA homemade Cheez-its!
If you are new to sourdough be sure to check out my Sourdough Starter Guide for Beginners!
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Ingredients
Here are the simple ingredients you will need to make these Sourdough Discard Crackers. See below for subs and variations.
- sourdough discard: unfed sourdough starter
- olive oil: I like to make these sourdough discard crackers with olive oil as it keeps them more crispy than other fats. A nice fruity one is good for these because it can stand up to the tangy sourdough. You will need some for the dough and some for brushing on the crackers before baking.
- grated parmesan cheese: This is delicious and really amps up the tangy, cheesy taste of the discard.
- salt and black pepper: these are well seasoned little crackers and the pepper is so good in them.
- rosemary: I used chopped, fresh rosemary but you can use dried although I think it has a much different flavor profile. Thyme would be really good in these crackers as well.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Here are the step-by-step photos and super simple instructions for how to make sourdough discard crackers. The dough does not need to be chilled although it can be if you want to make it the day before and then roll the crackers and bake the next day. If your starter is well-developed you will get some beneficial fermentation if you choose to leave it for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Mix all cracker dough ingredients in a bowl and knead gently until a soft ball forms.
place dough between two large sheets of parchment and roll to a thickness of 1/16th of an inch.
remove top layer of parchment, slice cracker dough into small squares, and dock with a fork to create several small holes on each cracker.
brush with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
bake at 350 until golden and crispy.
allow to cool before placing in airtight container.
Substitutions and Variations
These crackers are a very blank canvas. Here are some suggestions for subs and variations:
- Cheese - leave it out or use any hard, aged cheese such as pecorino romano, gouda, or manchego
- Olive oil - I really prefer a fruity and flavorful extra virgin oil for this, but you can use any neutral oil or fat including lard, butter, ghee, etc.
- Herbs and seasoning - use any herb you love or a combination. Add in some garlic or onion powder, smoked paprika, top with furikake or everything bagel seasoning. The customizations are practically endless so use what you love and have fun with it.
- Flour: I use all purpose or einkorn for these crackers but you can use rye, whole wheat, spelt, or any wheat-related flour you prefer. If using a very hearty flour such as whole grain, start with ¾ cup and add in the rest slowly if needed to create a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
- Gluten Free: I have not made these with alternative flours so I cannot recommend them. I use unbleached all-purpose for feeding my starter as well as for making these crackers. If you have a gluten free starter, feel free to experiment and let me know how it goes if you do.
Storage
Once cooled, crackers can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for 5 days. Visit my Amazon store to see some of my favorite jars.
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Top tip
Be sure to get the cracker dough very thin to ensure nice crispy crackers - 1/16th of an inch is ideal. I will sometimes divide the dough between two baking sheets to make sure it's extra thin. If they aren't thin enough, they will be a little softer in the middle but still delicious. You can also remove any that have browned and toss the thicker and/or lighter colored crackers back in the oven for a few more minutes.
FAQ
Yes, sourdough discard can be used immediately. I make these crackers with sourdough starter cold from the refrigerator or straight out of the jar at room temp when it is still slightly active. It works well either way for these sourdough discard crackers as well as many other sourdough discard recipes.
Yes, you can use sourdough discard straight from the fridge for this and many other sourdough discard recipes. If there is a recipe that is temperature sensitive such as one that uses yeast and warm water, you may want to allow the sourdough discard to come to room temp but I very often use it cold and my recipes turn out great.
If the sourdough starter is active, meaning it is over one week old and has reached the active, bubbly stage before refrigeration, I have found it will last for months if stored in an airtight container and kept very cold. If the starter is new and has not reached the active, bubbly stage, you can still store it in the refrigerator and use it in recipes, but I would try to use it up within a week of refrigeration. Either way, if it is moldy or has an unpleasant smell you should throw it out. It should smell either mild and neutral in the early stages or it should smell very pleasantly sour and tangy like yeasty vinegar in the more developed stages.
Related
Looking for more sourdough and/or sourdough discard recipes? Try these:
- Sourdough Discard Peanut Butter Cookies
- Sourdough Discard Chocolate Muffins
- Sourdough Discard Blueberry Muffins
- Tangzhong Sourdough Hot Cross Buns
Pairing
Soups and stews are the perfect pairing for these sourdough discard crackers:
- Brothy Beans with Fennel + Parmesan
- Crockpot White Chicken Chili Recipe
- Slow Cooker White Bean and Sausage Soup
- Hearty Beef and Barley Soup
Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe
Delightfully tangy and totally addicting, these Sourdough Discard Crackers come together so quickly and disappear even faster. The combination of olive oil, rosemary, and parmesan make them so special, savory, and irresistible. Trust me when I say you'll want to make a double batch!
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: about 3 cups or 8 dry ounces
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough discard (about 230 grams)
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Mix all dough ingredients in a bowl and knead a few times to make sure it is well mixed, adding a touch of flour if needed to prevent stickiness.
- At this point you can either wrap the dough and store in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours or you can roll and bake right away.
- When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough between two pieces of parchment to a thickness of 1/16th of an inch. Remove top piece of parchment and cut dough into small squares or whatever cracker shape you like. Prick dough all over with a fork to create small air holes - this will help the crackers crisp and stay flat but you can skip this step and just bake them a tiny bit longer.
- Brush dough all over with olive oil and sprinkle with salt before baking in preheated oven for 30 minutes until lightly golden and crispy. If desired, rotate the pan halfway through to ensure even browning.
- Allow to cool completely before storing.
If you love these be sure to give my Sourdough Cheese Crackers (aka Homemade Cheez-its) a try!
Notes
- Cheese - leave it out or use any hard, aged cheese such as pecorino romano, gouda, or manchego
- Olive oil - I really prefer a fruity and flavorful extra virgin oil for this, but you can use any neutral oil or fat including lard, butter, ghee, etc.
- Herbs and seasoning - use any herb you love or a combination. Add in some garlic or onion powder, smoked paprika, to with furikake or everything bagel seasoning. The customizations are really endless so use what you love.
- Flour: I use all purpose or einkorn for these crackers but you can use rye, whole wheat, spelt, or any wheat-related flour you prefer. If using a very hearty flour such as whole wheat, start with ¾ cup and add in the rest slowly if needed to create a smooth, slightly sticky dough.
- Gluten Free: I have not made these with alternative flours so I cannot recommend them but I imagine they would work just fine. I use unbleached all-purpose for feeding my starter. If you have a gluten free starter, feel free to experiment and let me know how it goes if you do.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: appetizer, snack, sourdough
- Method: baking, sourdough
- Cuisine: American
Kellen says
If using AP Einkorn flour, is the flour amount the same? I've read that Einkorn absorption rate is different. Would I need more liquid or less flour?
I mastered your sourdough discard cinnamon rolls and your sourdough bread. So I'm moving on to other recipes now.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us,
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Kellen! That makes me so happy! I'm glad you've mastered those recipes and I'm so happy you are sticking around for more. Yes, typically you'd want to use a little less liquid than the recipe calls for since Einkorn absorbs less liquid than regular AP flour. But in this recipe I'd suggest just adding a couple tablespoons more flour if your dough seems overly wet or sticky since there isn't really any liquid other than the sourdough starter. This is a very forgiving recipe so don't stress - just shake in a bit more flour until you have a soft, cohesive dough ball. Please let me know if that is helpful and if you have any more questions. Thank you! - Anita
Holly says
Turned out great! My kids are sometimes picky, but loved these too. They had fun helping make them!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
I'm so happy you and your family enjoyed these crackers! I totally understand the picky eaters - we have some in our house too! Thank you for this great feedback and 5 stars! I appreciate it!! xo - Anita
Nikki Start says
Is it possible to leave these to ferment on the counter or fridge before rolling? ai like to know that the flour I am adding is a bit more digested.
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Nikki. If you are using active starter or discard from a well-established starter, then yes you can let it ferment at room temperature for a few hours or in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
Lisa Longton says
Thank you for this great and simple recipe, Anita! I have to keep up with demand for these in my household, which is challenging! I make them with paprika, garlic and parmesan. Question for you: the recipe specifically calls for “unfed sourdough starter” - does that mean you should wait a certain amount of time before using the starter after you feed it? If so, how long should you wait?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Lisa! Thank you for this wonderful feedback!! I am so happy your family loves these crackers! Because this is a discard recipe, I call for "unfed sourdough starter" aka discard, but I should add a note that you can use your starter at any stage! It is just not necessary to have an active, bubbly starter since we don't need any lift in these crackers. If you do use it when it is more active, it's possible you'll get a lighter texture with maybe a hollow bubble baked in here or there, but I kind of like when that happens! Thanks again! Let me know if you have any other questions. xo - Anita
Pamela says
Thank you, Anita! Your recipe is fantastic. Easy and tastes really good. And I can use up all my sourdough discard very soon. Cheers Pam
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Pamela! I am so happy to read this! Thank you so much for making this recipe and for the great feedback!!
Adelaide says
So good! I do rosemary, sage, pepper, garlic salt, and onion powder. These taste so good, and I love slathering them with cream cheese and topping with some type of meat for a tasty mid-day snack. These crackers just come together so easily and are super fast to make. I wholeheartedly recommend them!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Adelaide! I am so happy you made these! I love the flavors you used and that sounds like the perfect snack! YUM! Thank you, sweet friend!