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Sourdough isn’t just for bread or pizza! Enjoy its tangy flavor in this crunchy, crispy Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe. These thin crackers are made with just 4 ingredients in a few simple steps and feature a delightful snap. Perfect for snacking, topping dishes, and appetizer boards!
When it comes to bread, sourdough is one of my favorites! It’s tangy, tender, lightly chewy, and —thanks to the long-fermentation process — more nutritious (source). When possible, I home-bake my sourdough. An essential part of doing so, however, is feeding and caring for my starter.
As much as I enjoy taking care of it, I always feel conflicted about throwing out the discard. Though it’s an essential part of the process, I try to avoid food waste where possible. So, naturally, I’ve jumped at the chance to create easy discard recipes!
This is where this sourdough discard cracker recipe comes in. It’s an easy, quick, and nutritious way to use and enjoy the discard. It takes less than 15 minutes to make and roll out the dough; the refrigerator and oven take care of the rest!
Not only are these crackers easier to digest and better on the gut than traditional crackers, they’re also higher in fiber and rich in complete plant protein when made with whole spelt flour. A quick brush of oil and sprinkle of flaky salt before baking makes them crunchy, crisp, and (speaking from experience) hard to eat just a handful!
For another delicious vegan cracker recipe, check out my “Cheesy” Pumpkin Seed Crackers.
Baking with Discard
For the best sourdough discard cracker recipe, remove the discard before feeding it. You will need one cup to make this recipe; I recommend transferring the discard to a covered Mason jar in the refrigerator and making these crackers as soon as you have accumulated the full amount.
The sourdough discard makes these taste like vegan cheese crackers. Actually, my whole family swears they taste like Cheese-Its!
If you have any questions about getting your sourdough started or working with sourdough, I recommend you check out this Beginner Sourdough Starter Guide and The Ultimate Sourdough Starter Guide.
Ingredients
Sourdough Discard: This adds a tangy, almost cheese-like flavor to this easy sourdough discard crackers recipe. For the best results, use unfed starter. It can be cold or room temperature.
Whole Grain Flour: Use whole spelt flour for higher protein crackers or whole wheat flour for whole grains and an extra crunchy texture. All purpose flour also works.
Salt: You will need fine sea salt or Himalayan salt to season the cracker dough and flaky or coarse salt for topping.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: For richness, crunch, and savoriness. Use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for the best taste, though you can use virgin if needed.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Crackers
- Combine Ingredients. Add the sourdough starter, spelt or whole wheat flour, salt, and oil to a large mixing bowl.
- Stir. Use a wooden or plastic spoon to stir the mixture until well combined.
- Chill. Halve the dough, and place one half onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the dough to make a disk about 1” thick, then cover it with plastic. Repeat with the remaining dough. Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a sheet of parchment onto the counter and dust it with a sprinkle of flour.
- Roll Out Dough. Remove one of the dough disks from the refrigerator and transfer it to the floured parchment paper. Dust a rolling pin with flour, then roll the dough flat into a 1/16-inch thick sheet.
- Oil and Cut Crackers. Use a basting brush to lightly grease the top of the dough. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into a grid shape. As displayed in the photos below, I forgot to oil the crackers first, and had to do so after cutting. Not ideal, but also works.
- Score. Use a fork to poke holes in each cracker.
- Bake. Carefully transfer the sheet of crackers to a large baking sheet. Sprinkle a bit of flaky salt over the crackers and bake for 20-25 minutes, until they are golden brown and crispy.
- Cool. Transfer the baking sheets to wire cooling racks and cool the crackers until they reach room temperature, or about 30 minutes.
Jenné’s Recipe Pro-Tips
- Chill the cracker dough. Not only does this help the crackers’ flavor develop, but it also helps to prevent spreading and makes the dough easier to roll out.
- Score the crackers. Scoring allows the moisture to release as the crackers bake, preventing them from bubbling or cracking.
- Monitor while baking. Ovens can run at different strengths. To prevent overbaking or burning, I recommend checking them periodically after 20 minutes and removing them as soon as the center crackers are golden and crispy.
- The crackers will crisp as they cool. You will know the crackers are done when golden brown and crisp around the edges. They will crisp up further as they cool.
- Storage directions. Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the sourdough starter crackers to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
Recipe Variations
Take any of the following adaptations on this sourdough crackers recipe to make them your own:
- Experiment with Shapes: Stamp out round crackers with a small round cookie cutter or cut other shapes, like diamonds or long strips, for a different presentation.
- Herbs: Add 1-2 tablespoons of dried rosemary, thyme, basil, and/or oregano to make herbed discard sourdough crackers.
- Butter: For a rich, buttery flavor, swap 1/4 cup melted vegan butter for the olive oil.
- Everything Bagel: Sprinkle this versatile onion and garlic seasoning on the crackers instead of flaky or coarse salt.
- Nutritional Yeast: Stir in up to 2 tablespoons for a vegan-friendly cheesy flavor. For an herb and cheese variation, add 1-2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning and a pinch of rubbed sage.
- Seeds: Up to 1/4 cup of pumpkin, sunflower, flax, or sesame seeds adds a delightful nuttiness! If using pumpkin or sunflower seeds, I recommend chopping them first.
Serving Suggestions
Do like I do and snack on these sourdough crackers by the handful, or gently crush them and sprinkle on your favorite soups, chilis, and salads:
More Healthy Snack Recipes
Sourdough Discard Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 cup (227g) sourdough starter discard, unfed
- 1 cup (113g) whole spelt flour or whole wheat flour, plus more for dusting
- ½ tsp sea salt or Himalayan salt
- ¼ cup (59mL) extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- Flaky or coarse salt, for topping
Instructions
- Add the sourdough starter, spelt or whole wheat flour, salt, and oil to a large mixing bowl.
- Use a wooden or plastic spoon to stir the mixture until well combined.
- Halve the dough, and place one half onto a sheet of plastic wrap. Flatten the dough to make a disk about 1” thick, then cover with plastic. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Refrigerate the dough for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a sheet of parchment onto the counter and dust it with a sprinkle of flour.
- Remove one of the dough disks from the refrigerator and transfer it to the floured parchment paper. Dust a rolling pin with flour, then roll the dough flat into a 1/16-inch thick sheet.
- Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to cut the dough into a grid shape, then use a fork to poke holes in each cracker.
- Carefully transfer the sheet of crackers to a large baking sheet. Brush the crackers lightly with olive oil and sprinkle them with flaky salt. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. The crackers will continue to crisp as they cool.
- Transfer the baking sheets to wire cooling racks and cool the crackers until they reach room temperature, or about 30 minutes, before eating or storing. Store in an airtight container for up to one week.
Notes
- Chill the cracker dough. Not only does this help the crackers’ flavor develop, but it also helps to prevent spreading and makes the dough easier to roll out.
- Score the crackers. Scoring allows the moisture to release as the crackers bake, preventing them from bubbling or cracking.
- Monitor while baking. Ovens can run at different strengths. To prevent overbaking or burning, I recommend checking them periodically after 20 minutes and removing them as soon as the center crackers are golden and crispy.
- The crackers will crisp as they cool. You will know the crackers are done when golden brown and crisp around the edges. Don’t overbake them because they will crisp up further as they cool.
- Storage directions. Once cooled to room temperature, transfer the sourdough starter crackers to an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 1 week.
