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Prep Time: 15 minutes
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Chill Time: 30 minutes (optional, but highly recommended)
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Bake Time: 20-25 minutes (depending on thickness and crispiness preference)
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Total Time: Approximately 1 hour 5 minutes
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Intensity: Low. This is a simple mix-and-roll recipe. The most demanding part is rolling the dough thinly, which requires a bit of arm work but no special skills.
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Servings: Makes approximately 60-80 crackers (depending on size)
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Best For: Appetizers, snacking, cheese boards, gift-giving.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
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Zero Waste: The perfect solution for all that unfed starter.
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Deep, Tangy Flavor: The fermentation in the discard gives these crackers a savory, complex, sourdough tang that you can’t get anywhere else.
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Customizable: From classic everything bagel seasoning to simple sea salt and rosemary, you can make a new flavor every time.
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Crunch Factor: Achieve that perfect, delicate snap that shatters satisfyingly with every bite.
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Better-for-You: You control the ingredients—high-quality olive oil, your choice of flour, and no weird preservatives.
Ingredients
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For the Dough:
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240g (1 cup) sourdough starter discard (unfed, straight from the fridge)
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120g (1 cup) all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour (whole wheat will yield a nuttier, more rustic cracker)
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60g (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
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½ teaspoon fine sea salt (plus more for sprinkling)
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¼ cup water (optional, only if dough is too stiff)
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For the Toppings (Choose Your Adventure):
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Flaky sea salt (like Maldon) – Essential for the best texture
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Freshly ground black pepper
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Everything bagel seasoning (poppy seeds, sesame seeds, dried garlic, dried onion, flaky salt)
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Dried rosemary and flaky salt
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Sesame seeds and a touch of smoked paprika
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Grated Parmesan cheese (sprinkle on just before baking)
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Instructions
Time Intensity: Low | Effort Intensity: Low
1. Preheat and Prepare (5 minutes)
Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). If you have a pizza stone, place it in the oven now to heat up—it helps create an extra-crispy bottom. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Mix the Dough (5 minutes)
In a large bowl, combine the sourdough discard, all-purpose flour, olive oil, and ½ teaspoon of fine sea salt. Use a sturdy spoon or your hands to mix until a shaggy dough forms.
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Chef’s Tip: If the dough feels too dry and crumbly, add the water one tablespoon at a time until it comes together into a cohesive, but not sticky, ball. If it’s too sticky, add another tablespoon of flour.
3. Rest (Optional but Helpful – 30 minutes)
Form the dough into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap, and let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. This allows the flour to fully hydrate and the gluten to relax, making the dough much easier to roll out super thin. If you’re in a hurry, you can skip this step, but your rolling pin will thank you for it.
4. Roll it Out (10 minutes)
Lightly flour your work surface and the top of the dough. Place the dough disk on the surface and begin rolling. This is the most important step. You want the dough to be very thin, about 1/16th of an inch (1.5-2mm). It should be almost translucent. If it springs back, let it rest for another 5 minutes and continue.
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Visual Cue: When you lift the dough, you should be able to see the shadow of your hand through it. Thin dough = crispy cracker. Thick dough = chewy breadstick.
5. Shape and Transfer (5 minutes)
Using a sharp knife, a pizza cutter, or a fluted pastry wheel, trim the ragged edges of the dough (you can re-roll these scraps!) and cut the dough into your desired cracker shapes—squares, rectangles, or rustic diamonds. Use a spatula or your hands to carefully transfer the cut dough to your prepared baking sheets, leaving a little space between each cracker as they won’t spread much.
6. Dock, Brush, and Top (5 minutes)
Prick each cracker several times with a fork. This is called “docking” and it prevents the crackers from puffing up in the oven. Lightly brush the tops with a little olive oil or water (this helps the toppings stick). Now for the fun part: sprinkle generously with your chosen toppings. Don’t be shy with the flaky sea salt—it makes a huge difference!
7. Bake to Golden Perfection (20-25 minutes)
Place the baking sheets in the preheated oven. If using a pizza stone, place the sheet directly on the stone.
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Bake for 10 minutes.
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Rotate the pans (swap top and bottom racks) for even baking.
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Bake for another 10-15 minutes. Keep a close eye on them in the last 5 minutes. The crackers are done when they are a deep golden brown and feel completely dry and firm to the touch. The ones on the edges of the pan will brown faster, so you may need to remove them early.
8. Cool and Crisp (10 minutes)
Remove the baking sheets from the oven and let the crackers cool completely on the pan. They will continue to crisp up as they cool. Do not try to move them until they are fully cooled, or they may be slightly pliable and could break.
9. Store and Enjoy
Once completely cool, store your sourdough discard crackers in an airtight container at room temperature. They will stay fresh and crunchy for up to a week—if they last that long!
Nutrition Information
*Note: The following nutrition information is an estimate provided as a courtesy and calculated using an online nutrition calculator. It will vary based on the specific ingredients used, the type of flour, and the toppings chosen. This calculation is for the base recipe (using all-purpose flour and olive oil, without added toppings) and yields approximately 70 crackers, with a serving size of about 7 crackers.*
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Serving Size: 7 crackers (approx. 28g)
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Calories: 115
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Total Fat: 5g (6% DV)
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Saturated Fat: 0.7g (4% DV)
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Cholesterol: 0mg (0% DV)
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Sodium: 125mg (5% DV) Note: This is for the base salt; adding flaky sea salt will increase this significantly.
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Total Carbohydrate: 16g (6% DV)
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Dietary Fiber: 0.6g (2% DV)
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Total Sugars: 0g
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Protein: 2g
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Calcium: 4mg (0% DV)
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Iron: 1mg (6% DV)