Sourdough Crackers
My absolute favorite use for sourdough discard is a batch of crackers.
Sourdough crackers are delicious and satisfying all on their own, but they’re also the highlight of any cheese board or snack spread.
The sourdough discard lends a funky, cheese-like taste. In fact, multiple friends have compared these crackers to Cheez-Its. (This is high praise, as Cheez-Its compete with Wheat Thins for #1 Processed Snack Cracker of My Heart.)
Today’s cheese board, made with a bunch of holiday leftovers- homemade ricotta, spiced nuts, water crackers, grapes, Beecher’s flagship cheddar, peppered salami, and sourdough crackers.
We served sourdough crackers on the cheese board at our wedding. For several months leading up to the big day, I made a batch every weekend and threw it in the freezer.
cracker progress two weeks out from the wedding
Since I incorporated whatever flour I milled for that week’s batch of bread, each batch was a bit different. Cracker making provided another fun way to sample the different grains I was working with. All of the crackers were delicious, but my favorite flour to use here is hard red wheat. The nutty sweetness and the robust wheaty flavor complement that cheese-like taste beautifully.
In the weeks leading up to the wedding, I found that cracker baking actually fit pretty seamlessly into my weekly bread baking schedule. I pull my starter from the fridge sometime around Thursday and refresh twice daily until Saturday morning, when I build the levain for my Sunday morning bake. By Saturday morning, I usually have enough discard to make a batch of crackers, and I’ve also just milled some flour for bread. Another bonus: the downtime in between bread steps is perfect for rolling, baking, and snacking on crackers.
Our wedding cheese board!
Even though I am no longer collecting crackers for a Major Life Event, I find that I still make them pretty frequently.
One more thing these crackers have going for them: They freeze like a dream. The crackers thaw really quickly and stay perfectly fresh. Yes, it’s a bit of work up front, but they make for a convenient and delightful party trick or impromptu snack.
During my cracker-baking marathon, I memorized King Arthur Flour’s recipe . Here’s my very close adaptation:
250 g sourdough discard
115 g freshly milled whole wheat flour
60 room- temperature butter (feel free to sub fats if you want)
½ t sea salt
Oil for brushing and coarse salt for finishing
Measure the discard, flour, fat, and salt into a bowl and stir with a fork.
Wrap in plastic and rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to a day. (I’ve also freezed the dough at this stage; just thaw in the fridge overnight before proceeding).
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
For rolling, King Arthur suggests dividing the dough in half and using a rolling pin to roll into a piece that is 1/16 inches thick. This totally works, but I found that rolling the dough through my pasta maker makes it easier to get even crackers. Use plenty of flour, as the dough is sticky. The first time you feed a portion through, it might fall apart. That’s OK! Just smush it together and feed it through again. Since there is minimal mixing in this recipe, there is minimal gluten development, so that’s why it isn’t like pasta dough. The minimal gluten development gives the crackers a nice, crunchy (versus chewy) texture. Either way, rolling evenly is really important. Otherwise, some crackers get really toasty (and sometimes burnt) before the others are ready. When I use my Atlas pasta maker, I roll to setting 3.
Transfer the sheets to your parchment-lined baking sheet and use a pasta cutter (or pizza wheel) to cut into squares.
Prick each square with a fork, brush (or spray) the top with oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Bake for about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. I start checking them out frequently after about 15 minutes. The bake time does vary depending on how thin you rolled them out. You’re looking for golden brown, with deeper browning around the edges.
Use a pasta maker for even rolling.
perfectly baked sourdough crackers
