Make crisp and tasty homemade sourdough crackers using your sourdough discard. This simple scratch recipe utilizes olive oil, sourdough discard, all-purpose flour, and seasonings to create flavorful, tender sourdough crackers sturdy enough for scooping up dips, enjoying with cheese, soups, or as a snack.
With a hands-on time of just 20 minutes and a bake time of about 30 minutes, you’ll have tasty gourmet homemade sourdough crackers at the ready, quickly. | This recipe is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill.
Tender and Crispy Sourdough Crackers
If you bake sourdough bread, it’s easy to keep discard on hand to make sourdough discard recipes. I make extra sourdough starter just to use in sourdough discard recipes like Sourdough Discard Banana Bread, Classic Sourdough Pancakes, Sourdough Discard Biscuits, Sourdough Discard Pizza, and so much more!
Made with simple ingredients and easily customizable, this sourdough discard crackers recipe shines on snack boards, with hummus, tapenade, soup or as a snack because they’re sturdy enough to stand up to your hearty dips.
This Recipe Is
- crisp, tender
- customizable
- easy!
“The taste of these homemade crackers makes you want to make them weekly and it’s so easy to switch the favors out! They are strong enough to use for my chunky spinach artichoke dip. Everyone loved them!”
Julianne
About the Key Ingredients
- Corn Starch – I tested this recipe with and without cornstarch and found that adding cornstarch lightens and tenderizes the dough, giving it a more tender crunch.
- Fresh or Dried Herbs – optional, but herbs add so much to these little crackers. Use fresh or dried. Herbs de Provence and fresh rosemary are my favorites in this recipe.
- 100% Hydration Sourdough Discard – you’ll use your inactive Sourdough Starter discard straight from the fridge or at room temperature. I use a 100% hydration sourdough starter (and discard) in my recipes.
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How to Make Olive Oil Sourdough Discard Crackers
step by step
To increase the tenderness of the crackers, we’re using a technique similar to making pie dough, where the fat is cut into the dry ingredients. This allows the flour to coat the fat, which limits gluten development.
Rolling your crackers thin, to about 1/16 inch will help ensure crispy crackers. Once your dough is rolled out, let it rest a minute then roll again to get it really thin!
What I love about these crackers is that they’re a snap to pull together. You don’t have to chill them before cutting or baking. Just mix, roll, cut and bake!
Ingredients Make All the Difference
Choosing high-quality ingredients is important for best flavor and texture. It reflects the love and attention that goes into each recipe I create for my family, friends, and the Vanilla And Bean community. I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour in this and many of my baked goods recipes. It’s a high-quality flour that produces consistent results every time.
For more inspiration and recipes using Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour, be sure to check out their website.
Traci’s Tips
- Oven Temperature: at a low temperature of 325 degrees Fahrenheit, this temperature bakes the crackers slowly so that the crackers in the center of the pan are just as crisp as the ones on the outer edges. Also, it ensures the crackers are dry and crisp.
- The Bake: you’ll bake the crackers on two sheet pans. I found my oven bakes crackers more evenly when baking one sheet pan at a time. If you can bake the pans side by side, or one sheet pan at a time, all the better.
Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe for Beginners
Servings:4 cups (300 grams)
Calories:305kcal
[advance prep required] – you'll need an inactive Sourdough Bread Starter (discard) to make this recipe. [ watch recipe VIDEO below ]Make crisp and tasty homemade sourdough crackers using your sourdough discard. This simple recipe utilizes olive oil, sourdough discard, all purpose flour, and seasonings to create flavorful, and tender sourdough crackers delicious for scooping up dips, enjoying with cheese, soups, or as a snack. This recipe is vegetarian and vegan. *see recipe notes below for flavor variations
Ingredients
- 1 cup (135 grams) Unbleached All Purpose Flour I use Bob's Red Mill Organic
- 2 teaspoons Corn Starch
- 1/2 teaspoon Fine Sea Salt plus more for finishing
- 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence adjust to taste (I use 2 tbs)* see note
- 3 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons (45 grams) Extra Virgin Olive Oil plus more for brushing the dough
- 3/4 cup (240 grams) Sourdough Discard 100% hydration, room temp or refrigerated
Instructions
- You'll need two large sheets of parchment paper and two large sheet pans. Set aside. Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. If baking two pans at one time, arrange one rack in the middle and the other in the bottom third. Preheat the oven to 325 Fahrenheit (163 Celsius).
- Mix: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the flour, corn starch, sea salt and herbs. Drizzle in the olive oil. Use a silicone spatula to toss and press the ingredients together. The mixture will become crumbly but not shaggy. Stop mixing when a clump of dough forms when you squeeze it in your fist.
- To the flour mixture, pour in the sourdough discard. Use a silicone spatula to mix the dough, switching to knead with your hand – it will be sticky at first. Gently knead the dough, folding it over and on top of itself just until a dough forms. It will become supple and tacky. Divide in half and form each into a ball. Cover one dough ball with a damp tea towel and set aside. There's no need to chill the dough – You can go right into rolling and cutting.
- Roll out the Dough: roll one dough ball out on a sheet of parchment paper into a rough rectangle, thin to 1/16 inch (1.5 mm) thick. It's okay if the shape is not a perfect rectangle or is more circleish. Use a little bit of flour on your rolling pin and/or the surface of the dough to prevent sticking. Let the dough rest for about a minute, then roll again, ensuring the dough is very thin.
- Cut the Dough: using a pizza or pastry wheel, and ruler as a guide, cut the dough first into long 1 1/4 inch (3.18 cm) wide strips, then finish cross ways creating 1 1/4" (3.18 cm) squares.
- Dock the Dough: dock individual squares in the center with a fork or use a chopstick tip. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush olive oil over the surface of the dough then finish with a light sprinkle of sea salt.
- Bake**: transfer the cut dough on the parchment paper to a sheet pan and bake for 28-32 minutes. The crackers are done baking when the outer edges are lightly brown, and most of the crackers are lightly golden. They'll be slightly puffed up. Remove from the oven and cool completely on the sheet pan where they'll continue to crisp up as they cool. Repeat with the remaining dough ball. **note my oven bakes more evenly with one sheet pan in the oven at a time. If baking two sheet pans at one time, rotate the pans front to back, and top to bottom halfway through baking to promote even baking.
- To Store: transfer the crackers to a tightly sealed lidded container. Store at room temperature for up to four days.
Video
Notes
*Flavor Variations:
- Simply Sea Salt – omit the herbs and follow the recipe as written.
- Fresh Rosemary and Black Pepper – omit the dry herbs. Add 1-2 tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper into the dry ingredients. Continue with the recipe as written.
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- Everything Bagel Seasoning – just before going into the oven, lightly brush the rolled out dough with olive oil, then sprinkle everything bagel seasoning evenly in a thin layer over the top.
- Sesame Seeds – a tasty addition with garlic granules sprinkled into the dough; lightly brush the surface of the rolled-out dough with olive oil, then sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate. If this information is important to you, please have it verified independently.
Serving: 0.5cup | Calories: 305kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 293mg | Potassium: 49mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 58IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 4mg
Made It? Leave a comment below! The most helpful comment may include recipe rating, feedback, any modifications and/or helping other commenters. On Instagram? Take a snap of your make and share, tagging @VanillaAndBean #VanillaAndBean!
These are an absolute hit and often requested food item for me to bring. I recently stared making a very thick starter. 1 to 10 to 7,5. Is making great bread. But my discard is very thick. I am catering athesecrackers for a friend’s soup dinner tomorrow. I am concerned how my very thick discard will affect making these crackers. Going to make the crackers today. Less fllour seems obvious. Let discard percolate a bit?
Hi Trudy! Thank you for your note and giving the crackers a go! I think you’re heading in the right direction with less flour. Or you can make more discard today at 100% hydration just to be sure.
I love these crackers so easy! I use tzatziki spice and dried hot pepper flakes with salt on top!
Oh now, that sounds delicious Jan! Thank you for your time and sending a smile!
I am a beginner with sourdough. I would recommend these crackers. Easy to make and taste great.
Love hearing this, Jo! Thank you for your note and sharing your success!
These crackers are addictive. I almost ate the first pan waiting on the second one to come out. Great way to use up discard. Delicious 😋 Great recipe!!
Love hearing this Victoria! Thank you for your note!
I am having to cut back on butter because of high cholesterol, so am so happy to find this recipe! They are just as tasty as the ones I’ve made with butter, easier to roll out and don’t get too dark on the edges. Thank you!
Hi Patricia! Best news ever! Thank you for your note and giving the crackers a go.
These are excellent! Wherever I take them people seek me out to tell me how much they like them!
These crackers were easier and quicker to make than I expected and also a great way to use up some of my sourdough starter discard. I didn’t have the herbs de provence, so I used King Arthur’s pizza seasoning instead, which made the crackers a little spicy. Next time, I’ll make sure my dough is thin everywhere; some of the crackers from the middle section were a little thick and chewy, but still tasty!
Hi Ginny! Thank you for your note and giving the crackers a go! The pizza seasoning sounds delicious. Rolling as thin as possible is key… you can pop those chewy ones back in the oven at 325F for a few minutes to crisp them up if needed.
Yes. I always end up doing this to some degree!
This recipe turned out great! Sent it to my sister and she made them as well. The taste of these homemade crackers makes you want to make them weekly and it’s so easy to switch the favors out! They are strong enough to use for my chunky spinach artichoke dip. Everyone loved them!
Hi Julianne! I love how you and sis made these. Thank you for sharing your make on IG and your star rating here! I love that they held up to your chunky spinach artichoke dip… I must make some dip now!
I just made these crackers exactly as written and they are fantastic! I love how easy the dough was to handle. I will definitely make these again.
Love hearing this, Robin! Thank you for your note, star rating and giving the crackers a go!