Recipes
HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH DISCARD CRACKERS FROM SCRATCH
LEARN HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH DISCARD CRACKERS FROM SCRATCH WITH THIS SIMPLE RECIPE. A DELICIOUS WAY TO USE UP SOURDOUGH DISCARD.
SOURDOUGH DISCARD CRACKERS ARE THE ULTIMATE SNACK (FROM SCRATCH)
Sourdough discard crackers are surprisingly simple to make from scratch, and are a treat the whole family will love. Especially with our two kiddos, we go through a lot of snacks.
Making homemade snacks from scratch may seem like a ton of work, but the payoff is great. Oh, and it’s really not as much work as you would think.
Read on to see how we make fresh batches of crackers for our family and friends every week.
WHY COOK WITH SOURDOUGH?
Sourdough is quite the crazy recently, and it’s for good reason. In a nutshell, sourdough is cultured with wild yeast harvested from the environment. This concoction (sourdough starter) ferments, creating a sour flavor. Sourdough starters can survive for many years, and are often handed down from generation to generation.
Sourdough is easier for our bodies to digest than traditional bread and is more nutritious as well.
Are you ready to get your own sourdough starter going? If you’re considering taking the plunge into sourdough, definitely check out this post: How To Make A Sourdough Starter
WHAT IS SOURDOUGH DISCARD?
For those of you who have sourdough starters, you may be familiar with sourdough discard. Half of the sourdough starter needs to be discarded each time it is fed. The reason for this is because if you kept feeding your sourdough without ever discarding, you would be feeding huge amounts of flour and water to your starter twice per day.
There is nothing wrong with sourdough discard, however it has likely risen and fallen. Because the starter has fallen back down again, it won’t be appropriate for making anything that needs leavening. Sourdough discard is perfect for flat foods, such as crackers, tortillas, pancakes and more.
Alternatively, sourdough discard can be given away for someone else to start their own sourdough journey! The moral of the story, don’t throw it out.
HOW TO STORE SOURDOUGH DISCARD
There are several different ways to store and handle sourdough discard, but I will share what we do here at the Simply Rooted Farmhouse. I leave our sourdough starter out on the counter 24/7 and always keep it “active”. This means, I feed and discard twice per day.
Discard is stored in a glass jar in my refrigerator, tightly sealed. The cold from the refrigerator slows the starter down, so it can be stored for about one week. At each feeding, I add all remaining sourdough discard to the discard jar and replace it back into the refrigerator again.
When it’s time to cook, pull the sourdough discard out of the refrigerator and set it on the counter for a little while to warm up again. Then follow the guidelines of whatever sourdough discard recipe you are using.
SEASONINGS FOR SOURDOUGH DISCARD CRACKERS
Sourdough discard crackers made from scratch are fully customizable! Here are some of our favorite seasonings and toppings for these crackers:
- Everything But The Bagel: 1 TBSP (omit any other salt)
- Rosemary: 1 TBSP
- Plain: add 1 tsp of salt to the cracker dough, then once the crackers are spread onto the baking pan shake some sea salt over top before baking.
- Parmesan Cheese
- Garlic (or garlic and cheese)
- Any types or combination of dried herbs
TOOLS AND INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO MAKE SOURDOUGH DISCARD CRACKERS FROM SCRATCH
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- Large mixing bowl
- Parchment Paper
- Large Baking Sheet
- Oil
- Rolling Pin
- Flour
- Sourdough Starter
- Butter
- Salt
- Seasonings
HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH DISCARD CRACKERS
This recipe was created by Lisa from Farmhouse On Boone. Lisa explains how to make this simple recipe over on her blog, as well as shares tips on how to roll the crackers out oh-so-thin!
Please be sure to check out the full recipe on Lisa’s blog HERE.
Sourdough crackers are quick and easy to make, and I usually make two batches back to back on the weekends. This depends on how much sourdough discard we have to use up, and how many other sourdough recipes I plan on making.
Each batch of crackers uses 1 cup of sourdough starter, making this recipe a quick and efficient way to use up a significant amount of discard.
In Lisa’s original recipe, she bakes her crackers for 15 minutes at 350 degrees. With the size of my sheet pan and oven, I have found that I cannot roll my cracker dough thin enough to bake fully in 15 minutes. Instead, we bake a thicker cracker for 30 minutes on convection bake.
If the cracker dough is too thick, it will be soft and doughy. Should your crackers come out this way, just leave them in the oven until they are more crispy.
STORAGE OF SOURDOUGH DISCARD CRACKERS
Believe us, you won’t need to store these very long. Sourdough discard crackers are a versatile and delicious treat the whole family will love.
We store crackers in an airtight container on our counter for several days, however when left out these crackers get eaten ASAP!
Using a food saver vacuum, we have sealed batches of crackers in jars to keep them fresher longer. But, the crackers are best straight out of the oven.
TOPPINGS AND DIPS TO HAVE WITH SOURDOUGH DISCARD CRACKERS
We sometimes just enjoy these crackers on their own, but they’re also so much fun to dip!
- Artichoke Dip
- Hummus
- Cream Cheese Dip
- Creamy Spreads
Or add them to your favorite charcuterie board!
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
Be sure to check out Farmhouse on Boone’s original Sourdough Cracker recipe.
How to Start a Sourdough Starter
Thanks so much for visiting the Simply Rooted Farmhouse today! I hope you enjoy these sourdough discard crackers as much as we do.
