Sourdough discard crackers are thin, crisp crackers made by mixing discard with flour, fat and salt, rolling the dough paper-thin and baking it at 350°F (175°C) until golden. They take about 15 minutes of hands-on work, use up a good cupful of discard at once, and are the best home for older, tangier discard.
On this page
If you keep a starter, you know the problem: the discard jar fills faster than you can bake. These crackers are the answer most bakers settle on. The sourdough tang makes them taste like you bought them at a good cheese shop, and the dough doesn’t care whether the discard is three days old or three weeks old.
This version uses olive oil for a crisp, clean snap and keeps the flour flexible: all-purpose for a lighter cracker, whole wheat for a nuttier one. King Arthur Baking’s popular recipe, which we used as a reference, uses butter and whole wheat flour instead; both approaches work.
What you need
- Discard. Unfed, straight from the fridge is fine. Stir it first, including any liquid on top. Skip any discard with fuzzy mould or pink or orange streaks.
- Flour. All-purpose, whole wheat, or half and half. A little rye adds a deeper, earthier flavour.
- Olive oil. Gives crispness and flavour. Softened butter works too.
- Salt in the dough and flaky salt on top.
- Seasoning. Dried herbs, black pepper, garlic powder, seeds.
You will also want parchment, a rolling pin, two baking sheets and a pizza wheel or sharp knife.
Tips for crisp crackers
- Roll it thin. This matters more than anything else. Aim for about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm), the thickness King Arthur Baking recommends. Thick crackers bake up chewy.
- Roll on parchment. You can roll right on the parchment and slide it onto the pan, so the thin dough never has to be lifted.
- Rest the dough. Chilling it for 30 minutes relaxes the gluten so it rolls out without shrinking back.
- Dock it. Pricking each cracker with a fork stops it puffing into a pillow.
- Rotate the pans. Edges brown first. Swap the pans halfway and pull finished crackers early.
- Bake to golden. Pale crackers are often still soft in the middle. If a cooled cracker bends rather than snaps, return the batch to the oven for a few minutes.
Tip: Don’t worry about perfect squares. Uneven, rustic shards look great on a board, and the thinner, browner bits are everyone’s favourite.
Variations
- Everything bagel: Skip the herbs; top with everything-bagel seasoning.
- Rosemary and sea salt: Use finely chopped fresh rosemary in the dough and flaky salt on top.
- Seeded: Add 2 tablespoons (about 20 g) mixed sesame, flax and sunflower seeds to the dough.
- Parmesan and black pepper: Add 30 g finely grated Parmesan and ½ teaspoon coarsely ground pepper; reduce the salt slightly.
- Rye and caraway: Use half rye flour and add 1 teaspoon caraway seeds.
- Cheddar: Add 50 g finely grated sharp cheddar and a pinch of smoked paprika.
How to store sourdough discard crackers
Cool the crackers completely, then store them in an airtight jar or tin. King Arthur Baking says crackers like these keep well wrapped at room temperature for up to a week, and can be frozen for longer storage. If they soften, re-crisp them in a 300°F (150°C) oven for 5 minutes.
The dough also keeps: wrap it tightly and refrigerate it for a day or two, then roll and bake when you’re ready.
Safety: Discard is raw flour batter. The CDC advises against tasting raw dough or batter made with flour, so wait until these are baked.
More ways to use your discard
For a sweet breakfast, try our sourdough discard pancakes. For 14 more ideas, from tortillas to crumpets, see our full list of sourdough discard recipes. And if you’re making more discard than you can bake, our guide to feeding a sourdough starter shows you how to keep it smaller. New to sourdough? Start with our sourdough for beginners guide.
The recipe
Sourdough Discard Crackers
- Prep15 min
- Cook25 min
- Total1 hr 10 min
- MakesAbout 60 small crackers
Ingredients
- 200 g (about 7/8 cup) sourdough discard, unfed, stirred
- 100 g (3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) all-purpose or whole wheat flour, plus extra for rolling
- 40 g (3 tablespoons) extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 g (3/4 teaspoon) fine salt
- 2 g (1 tablespoon) dried herbs such as rosemary, thyme or oregano, optional
- Flaky salt, sesame seeds or everything-bagel seasoning, for topping
Steps
- In a bowl, stir together the discard, flour, olive oil, salt and herbs until they form a smooth, slightly tacky dough. If it is very sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Divide the dough in half, flatten each half into a rectangle, wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to a few hours.
- Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
- On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll one piece of dough as thin as you can, about 1/16 inch (1.5 mm), into a rough rectangle roughly the size of your baking sheet.
- Slide the parchment onto a baking sheet. Lightly brush or mist the dough with water, then sprinkle with flaky salt or seeds and press them in gently.
- Cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch (4 cm) squares with a pizza wheel or knife. No need to separate them. Prick each cracker once or twice with a fork so they don't puff.
- Repeat with the second piece of dough.
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, swapping the pans top to bottom and turning them halfway through, until the crackers are golden brown at the edges and crisp. Remove any that brown early from the edges of the sheet.
- Cool completely on the pans; they crisp further as they cool. Break apart along the cut lines.
Questions people ask
Can I use old sourdough discard for crackers?
Yes. Crackers are one of the best uses for older, more sour discard, since the tang suits savoury flavours. King Arthur Baking says discard keeps several weeks in the fridge; toss it if you see mould or pink or orange streaks.
Why are my sourdough crackers chewy, not crisp?
They were rolled too thick or pulled from the oven too soon. Roll the dough paper-thin and bake until the crackers are golden at the edges; thinner ones near the edge of the sheet will finish first.
Can I make sourdough discard crackers with butter instead of oil?
Yes. Use the same weight of softened butter. King Arthur Baking's well-known version uses butter and whole wheat flour, which gives a richer, more short-textured cracker.
Do I need to let the dough rest?
A 30-minute rest in the fridge makes the dough much easier to roll thin without it springing back. You can leave it for a few hours if that suits you better.