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, tender sourdough crackers delicious for scooping up dips, enjoying with cheese, soups, or as a snack. This recipe is vegetarian and vegan. | This recipe is brought to you by Bob’s Red Mill.
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Tender and Crispy Sourdough Crackers
When I worked at the bakery, we offered a variety of crackers. From rye, to plain, crackers were mixed, docked, cut, and baked on rotation, even more so during the holiday season.
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 pancakes, biscuits, pizza, and crackers!
Made with simple ingredients and easily customizable, sourdough discard crackers shine on snack boards, with hummus, olive tapenade, or soup or as a snack.
This Recipe Is:
- made with sourdough discard or unfed inactive starter
- crisp, tender
- customizable
- made with simple ingredients
Ingredients You’ll Need
Simple pantry ingredients create these tasty homemade sourdough crackers. Here’s what you’ll need to whip em’ up (see recipe card for details):
- All Purpose Flour – creates tender and delicious sourdough crackers. I use Bob’s Red Mill Organic All Purpose Flour.
- Fine Sea Salt – just half a teaspoon in the dough adds flavor and interest. Sprinkle a bit more (or flaky sea salt) on top before baking.
- Corn Starch – lightens and tenderizes the dough further for a tender crunch!
- Herbs – optional, but they add so much to these little crackers. Use fresh or dried.
- Dried Herbs: I use herbs de Provence in this recipe. But you can use Italian seasoning or a blend of choice.
- Fresh Herbs: finely chopped rosemary is quite nice in these crackers.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil – use high-quality extra virgin olive oil for delicious flavor.
- 100% Hydration Sourdough Discard – you’ll use your inactive (aka discard) Sourdough Starter straight from the fridge or at room temperature. I use a 100% hydration sourdough starter (and discard) in my recipes.
At a Glance: How to Make Olive Oil Sourdough Discard Crackers
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.
Also, we’re adding a bit of cornstarch to the dough. This ingredient inhibits gluten development, which is another support to creating tender, crispy crackers. In summary, here’s how to make sourdough crackers (see recipe card for details):
- First, in a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, salt, and dried or fresh herbs.
- Second, to the dry ingredients, drizzle in the olive oil. Mix, tossing and pressing 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.
- Third, pour in the sourdough discard. Use a fork or silicon 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 and becomes supple and tacky. Divide in half and form each into a ball.
PRO TIP: There’s no need to chill the dough – You can go right into rolling and cutting.
- Fourth, roll the dough out on parchment paper into a rough rectangle, thin to 1/16 inch thick. It’s okay if the shape is not a perfect rectangle or is more circleish.
- Next, using a pizza wheel, cut the dough into 1 1/4 inch squares. Lightly brush olive oil over the surface of the dough and sprinkle with sea salt. Dock individual squares in the center with a fork or use a chopstick tip.
- Last, transfer the parchment paper to a baking sheet pan and bake! Repeat with the remaining dough ball.
Remove from the oven, and cool completely on the sheet pan. This helps the crackers crisp further. Store in a tightly sealed covered container for up to four days.
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!
Need More Sourdough Starter Discard?
Sourdough discard is a delicious way to flavor baked goods while tenderizing them. I keep sourdough discard (inactive starter) on hand not because I’m discarding it, but rather to make tasty baked goods, like these crackers. But sometimes I need a bit more to make a recipe.
How To Make Extra Sourdough Discard
If you need more sourdough discard, you can make it! Here’s how to do it:
- To a Mason jar, add a tablespoon of starter, 120 grams water (1/2 cup), 120 grams flour (appx. 2/3 cup), and mix well.
- Let it set overnight at room temperature to ripen/mature/double in size, and let it fall.
- It’s ready to use when the starter is inactive, loose, not bubbly or doubled in size, but pourable and runny.
You can store sourdough discard in the refrigerator for a few weeks until ready to use.
Variations on Sourdough Crackers
There are many ways to customize your sourdough crackers. I’ve only scratched the surface in this recipe. Here are some ingredients I’ve tried:
- Pictured:
- Herbs de Provance – This aromatic herb mix typically includes a combination of thyme, rosemary, marjoram, basil, tarragon, and savory. The first ingredient in the blend I use is garlic (recommended!), and also includes lemon peel. It’s lovely! You can sometimes find Herbs de Provance in the dried herb bulk bins to purchase exactly what you need. Use 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons per recipe, depending on how flavor-forward you want the crackers.
- Simply Sea Salt – this is a lovely neutral-tasting cracker seasoned only with sea salt. It’s delicious with cheeses that are sharp in flavor or for olive tapenade, for example. Just a little sea salt is added to the dough, and then a little more is lightly sprinkled on top just before going into the oven.
- Not Pictured:
- Fresh Rosemary and Black Pepper – a lovely, aromatic combination. Add 1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary and 1/8 teaspoon of black pepper into the dry ingredients. The black pepper offers a hint of interest and spice, while fresh rosemary is bright but not overpowering. Use leftover rosemary in this tasty Sweet and Spicy Roasted Rosemary Cashews recipe (a delicious complement to these crackers on a cheese board!).
- Garlic – add 1/4 teaspoon of garlic granules when mixing the dough along with the sea salt. It adds a hint of background flavor that’s not overpowering.
- Everything Bagel – just before going into the oven, lightly brush 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 the sesame seeds.
Ingredients Make All the Difference
Choosing high-quality ingredients is important for flavor and health. 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.
You’ll find Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Flour in my tasty Sourdough Biscuits, rich and soft Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, and much more! It’s perfect for every day and an ingredient you’ll always find in my pantry.
For more inspiration and recipes using Bob’s Red Mill Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour, be sure to check out their website.
Expert Tips
- Finishing the Crackers: before baking, gently brush the surface of the rolled-out dough with olive oil, then sprinkle with preferred topping or salt. Olive oil helps the added ingredients stick to the surface, supports a crisp top, and adds a bit more olive oil flavor.
- 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, even after rotating two pans, and changing their position in the oven. If you can bake the pans side by side, or one sheet pan at a time, all the better.
- Kitchen Tools: For accurate oven temperature monitoring, I recommend a digital oven thermometer with an air probe. Weigh your ingredients using a digital kitchen scale for the best outcome (affiliate links).
More Sourdough Discard Recipes to Try
- Cranberry Orange Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Banana Muffins
- Sourdough Oatmeal Pancakes
- Vegan Sourdough Pancakes
Olive Oil Sourdough Discard Crackers
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.
Notes
- 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.
-
- 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.
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.
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!