Seeded Sourdough Discard Crackers
Baking your own crackers is one of the best ways to use up excess sourdough starter discard. Is it possible to make sourdough crackers by simply spreading the starter discard thinly onto a parchment-lined sheet pan and baking? Yes!
- 220 grams (about 1 cup) sourdough starter discard
- 50 grams (¼ cup) olive oil
- 125 grams (1 cup) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 45 grams (heaping ¼ cup) raw sunflower seeds
- 45 grams (heaping ¼ cup) raw pumpkin seeds
- 18 grams (2 tablespoons) white or black sesame seeds
- 18 grams (2 tablespoons) raw flaxseed or raw hemp hearts (or a mix)
- 2 grams (½ teaspoon) coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 gram (¼ teaspoon Diamond Crystal or ⅛ teaspoon Morton) kosher salt
- Flaky or coarse sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
- Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) with a rack in the center.
- In a large bowl, stir together the starter discard and olive oil. In a small bowl, stir together the flour, seeds, pepper, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Use a fork to stir the mixture together until it forms a shaggy dough.
- Use your hands to knead the dough until it comes together into a sticky, soft ball.
- Place a large piece of parchment paper (about 16-by-12-inches; pre-cut parchment for half sheet pans is the perfect size) on a work surface and dust lightly with flour. Scrape the dough out onto the parchment and pat out with your hands to flatten a bit, then dust the surface of the dough lightly with flour. Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into about a 16-by-12-inch rectangle between ⅛- and 1/16-inch thick. The dough will stick to the parchment and that’s just fine. If using, sprinkle flaky salt over the surface of the dough, then gently (without applying excess pressure) roll over it with the rolling pin. (See Note below for using two half sheet pans or smaller)
- Transfer the parchment with the cut dough to a sheet pan. (If the dough sheet is rolled a bit off-kilter and runs up the rim of the sheet pan in some places, tear off those areas and gently press them into any areas where the parchment is laying flat.) Use a bench scraper to cut the dough sheet into approximately 40 crackers. Shoot for approximately 2 ½-inch squares by cutting the sheet into a 5 by 8 array—don’t obsess over measuring exactly. After cutting through the dough, there’s no need to separate the crackers.
- Bake until the crackers are lightly golden and set, rotating the sheet pan halfway through baking, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the crackers cool completely (they’ll crisp up more as they cool.)
- The crackers should’ve separated along the cut lines as they baked, but if any have not, use the bench scraper to cut through the lines (or just snap them apart with your hands). Store the crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
On a recent restaurant outing, I had what I’d describe as my dream cracker: They were crumbly, almost like shortbread, with seeds threaded through the dough. These particular crackers didn’t have the tang that comes with sourdough baked goods, but I knew that if I recreated them I’d incorporate some sourdough starter discard. Meet your new favorite snack, Seeded Sourdough Starter Discard Crackers.
Olive Oil Brings Richness and Helps The Crackers Crisp
Olive oil is the ideal fat for these seeded sourdough discard crackers, because you want to take advantage of its 100% fat content and taste it in the finished product (just like in sourdough discard granola). While crackers don’t need fat, adding a bit will make your crackers richer in flavor (aka more delicious), not to mention help them crisp up in the oven.
Neutral oil is common in baking treats like cakes and quick breads to bring tenderness and richness without drawing attention away from the other delicate flavors in the bake. Since these crackers are already relatively neutral in flavor, save for the tang from the discard and nuttiness from the seeds, olive oil is perfect here (and in many other bakes, of course). There’s no need to use your fanciest finishing oil, but opt for the nicest option you feel comfortable cooking with.
One could use melted butter as the fat for these crackers, but as you likely know from many of my sourdough starter discard recipes, butter is about 20% water, and we already have all the water we need in this dough from the sourdough starter. If you’d prefer to use butter, you can slowly cook out the water (as I do in many of my other recipes), or use melted clarified butter or ghee.
Use a Full Cup of Sourdough Starter Discard
Cracker dough needs moisture and structure, so naturally sourdough starter discard is a great place to start. Grab your discard cache from the fridge—I bet you have at least 220 grams (about 1 cup) in there.
A Little Dry Flour Offsets the Tang and Adds Additional Structure
Adding a bit of dry flour will create a slightly drier dough that’s easier to knead together and roll out than one with a higher hydration. Since the sourdough starter discard is the main ingredient here, the dry flour also brings down the tang-factor a bit, which can get a little overwhelming (especially helpful if you’re eating crackers with a salty-tangy cheese).
All-purpose flour works delightfully with these sourdough crackers, but if you have excess whole wheat, einkorn, rye, or even non-wheat flours like buckwheat or chickpea, you could use them here.
A Mix of Seeds Adds Texture and Flavor
Adding raw seeds like sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, flax, and hemp adds a really stunning, almost terrazzo-like look to these crackers. I like a higher percentage of larger seeds and a lower concentration of small seeds, but about 125 grams of any seed, or even coarsely chopped nuts, would work very well.
Make Your Life Easier by Rolling Out the Crackers Directly on Parchment
This dough is fairly smooth and supple, like brioche —though not at all elastic and on the moist side. To that end, it’s easiest to roll out the dough directly on a sheet of parchment or a reusable Silpat. You’ll then lift the sheet of parchment directly onto the sheet pan.
Using pre-cut sheets of parchment that fit a half sheet pan will be easiest to roll out the dough into the most even shape. But even if the dough sheet is rolled a bit off-kilter and runs up the rim of the sheet pan in some places, it’s easily fixed. Just tear off those areas and gently press them into any areas where the parchment is laying flat. You’ll then use a bench cutter to cut the crackers into rectangles or squares.
Since this is a fairly moist dough and you’re essentially baking a full cracker sheet at once, it’s best to use a slightly lower oven temperature (325°F or 165°C) and let the crackers slowly dry out until golden brown.
Description
Thin, crispy, and ultra-flavorful, these seeded sourdough discard crackers are the perfect way to use excess sourdough starter!
