These homemade Sourdough Crackers are crisp and delicious, and one of our favorite discard recipes. They also have just three ingredients: sourdough discard, melted butter, and salt. It doesn’t get much simpler than that.
There’s no prep ahead, refrigeration, or rolling out the dough – and you end up with a crunchy cracker that keeps well and is perfect for dipping. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy this tasty snack is to make.
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We love sourdough recipes from Sourdough Pancakes to our classic Sourdough Bread. If you are on the Sourdough bus, these crackers are a must-try (and stay tuned for more sourdough discard recipes to come)!
Sourdough Discard Crackers Video
Watch Natasha make these Sourdough Discard Crackers. With just 3 base ingredients, you will be shocked at how easy they are to make and how delicious they taste. With their irresistible crunch and classic sourdough flavor, these homemade crackers are sure to become a staple in your snacking repertoire.
Sourdough Discard Crackers Recipe
For those of you who have started your sourdough journey, you will love this sourdough discard idea that my sister Svetlana shared with me (a friend shared it with her, and that is proof that a good recipe travels fast!). This is a brilliant way to use sourdough discard, which is essentially an unfed/stirred starter that is blended with butter and salt, spread thinly, and baked into the tastiest crackers.
We have struggled with finding the perfect store-bought crackers for our family. My kids are drawn toward those filled with questionable additives and preservatives, and they don’t like the healthier ones I prefer. I am happy to report that our homemade sourdough crackers have won over every member of our family.
What is Sourdough Discard?
When you feed a starter, you add fresh flour and water to make it grow. To prevent a sourdough starter from becoming too large and maintain it’s health and balance, a portion is discarded before feeding. The portion removed is the sourdough discard.
Sourdough discard is essentially an unfed or inactive starter. While it’s typically not strong enough for baking sourdough bread on its own, it still contains beneficial wild yeast and bacteria, along with a tangy sourdough flavor, and can be used in a variety of recipes from baked goods to savory dishes.
If you want to feed your starter just to make these crackers, that is perfectly ok (I do this all the time because the crackers are worth it).
Ingredients for Sourdough Crackers
If you’ve started your sourdough journey, chances are you have plenty of sourdough discard – this is a brilliant way to use it up.
- Sourdough discard – adds the tanginess of sourdough to the crackers and creates a light and crisp texture. All of the flour needed for this recipe is in the discard which means that the flour is already fermented, making it easier to digest.
- Butter -helps bind the ingredients together and contributes to the overall texture and moisture of the crackers.
- Salt – enhances the flavor of the crackers, balancing the tanginess of the sourdough while enhancing the other seasoning flavors.
- Seasoning – Customize the flavor to your preference with a variety of seasonings on top – sprinkle your favorite herbs, spices, seeds, or other flavorings (see the variations below).
Seasoning Variations
These sourdough crackers are totally customizable depending on your taste and accompaniments.
- Seeds – sunflower, sesame, chia, flax, or poppy seeds (or go for it all with Everything But the Bagel seasoning)
- Salt and pepper – sea salt or herbed salt
- Cheese – try grated parmesan or finely shredded cheddar cheese. You’ll love our Sourdough Cheese Crackers.
- Dried herbs – rosemary, thyme, basil, or oregano
- Hemp hearts
Time-Saving Tip:
You can make the batter in one large measuring cup. Melt the butter in the cup and let it cool until just warm. Set the cup with butter on a kitchen scale, zero it out, then add 200 grams of sourdough discard.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Crackers
- Preheat – Preheat your oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
- Melt and Combine – Melt the butter in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl and let it cool until just lukewarm. Add the sourdough discard and salt, stirring together with a spatula until well combined.
- Spread – Pour the mixture onto your prepared baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to spread the batter into an even, thin layer that is almost transparent (my dough rectangle was 13×11 inches).
- Season – Lightly sprinkle the top with flaky salt or seasonings of choice. Avoid adding too much salt, as the crackers are thin and can quickly become overly salty.
- Bake and Score – Immediately bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a pizza cutter to score the partially baked dough into bite-size squares.
- Final Bake – Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the crackers are golden, hardened, and crisp to the tap. If the batter wasn’t spread thin enough, it could take longer to bake. Remove from the oven and let the crackers cool on the baking sheet to fully dry out.
Pro Tip:
Have your oven preheated and ready to go so you can bake the crackers right after spreading the batter onto the parchment paper. If you wait, it’s more likely your crackers will stick to the parchment.
What is the Best Tool to Score Crackers?
Use any of these tools to make clean cuts quickly and efficiently without dragging or tearing the dough. I personally love the pastry wheel because it adds a nice scalloped edge that looks fancy but is equally as simple as using a knife or pizza cutter.
- Pizza cutter
- Ravioli cutter or pastry wheel
- Knife
For a different style, use the back of a spoon to create small smears of batter on the sheet pan, or skip scoring altogether and break the baked rectangle into small pieces. This will give you rustic, artisanal pieces perfect for your spread.
Pro Tip:
Use the imperfect baked trimmings from the perimeter of your rectangle to use as a delicious, crispy salad topping.
What to Serve with Sourdough Crackers
Our preferred presentation for these sourdough discard crackers involves creating a captivating charcuterie board with a variety of enticing accompaniments:
- An assortment of nuts, cheeses, fresh vegetables, olives, and pickles
- Delectable spreads like olive tapenade, fig jam, honey, or flavored cream cheese.
- Indulgent herbed or honey butter, adding an extra layer of flavor.
- Diverse dips such as hummus, veggie dip, 7-layer dip, tzatziki, whipped feta dip, or spinach and artichoke dip.
In addition to perfectly enhancing the savory tang of these crackers, these options create a delightful culinary adventure for every palate to enjoy.
How to Store Homemade Crackers
Allow the crackers to cool completely and then store them in an airtight container, glass jar, or zip bag. For the best taste and texture, enjoy the crackers within a few days. While they may still be edible after this time, they might lose some of their crispiness.
Sourdough may seem trendy to some, but its roots stretch back thousands of years. While trends come and go, sourdough’s timeless appeal and cultural significance make it a beloved staple in baking and cuisine. Stay tuned—we’re just getting ‘startered.’
More ‘Made from Scratch’ Recipes
If you love good food but are starting to pay more attention to the ingredients in your store-bought favorites, then you won’t want to miss these delicious DIY swap recipes. You can easily make your favorites at home, knowing exactly what’s in them!
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Sourdough Discard Crackers
Ingredients
- 200 grams sourdough discard, 1 cup stirred and unfed starter
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- Seasonings to taste – flaky sea salt, everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, etc.*
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Melt the butter in a large measuring cup or mixing bowl and let it cool until just lukewarm. Add sourdough discard* and salt, and stir together with a spatula until well combined.
- Pour the mixture onto your parchment-lined baking sheet and use an offset spatula to spread it into a thin, even layer that is almost transparent (for reference, my dough rectangle measured approximately 13×11 inches).
- Lightly sprinkle the top with flaky salt and your seasonings of choice. Avoid adding too much salt since the crackers are thin and can quickly become overly salty.
- Transfer to the oven right away to prevent sticking to the parchment and bake for 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and use a pizza cutter to score your crackers into bite-size squares.
- Return to the oven and bake for another 15-20 minutes, or until the crackers are golden and hardened. If the crackers are not firm, it may be due to not spreading them thinly enough. Continue to bake until they are firm when you tap the tops with your nail.
- Remove from the oven and let the crackers cool on the baking sheet to allow them to fully dry out. Once completely cooled, store in an airtight container or zip bag.
Notes
*Variations for Toppings:
- Seeds – sunflower, sesame, chia, flax, or poppy seeds
- Everything But the Bagel seasoning
- Salt and pepper – sea salt or herbed salt
- Cheese – finely grated cheddar or parmesan
- Dried herbs – rosemary, thyme, basil, or oregano
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
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Hi! instead of butter, can I use non dairy butter or olive oil?
I think that would be fine! Let us know how it goes if you give that a try!
Just tried this and looove it! I had to adjust the time for the size of my pan (and my heavy hand 🤣) but based on the “sound check” I knew they were done. I tried plain just to see what flavor base I was dealing with then rosemary & garlic. 👌🏻
I had high hopes for this recipe and it might prove to be delicious next time but this time I had to throw the entire batch in the trash because it STUCK to the PARCHMENT PAPER…like fused! Looks like a number of others had the same issue. Wish I had read the reviews first. Sigh…
HI Maven, did you make sure to use parchment (not wax paper) and bake soon after you spread it onto the parchment? I wonder if that could be the issue – waiting to bake? Paper is paper and it can absorb moisture so if you wait too long, it could cause sticking. I’ve made these countless times and haven’t had it stick but I have my oven preheated and I always bake right away. I added that tip in the recipe which may help.
Me again. I made this recipe again this time using a silicone mat sprayed well with baking oil spray. Had to bake them longer than suggested but turned out great and happy to find a good (and easy!) use for my discard.
Stuck to the parchment paper and couldn’t get it off. Should it have been sprayed?
Hi Agnes. Be sure to use parchment paper and not wax paper. They are not the same and it will stick to wax paper. Also, be sure to spread the batter thin and bake it long enough until crispy. If it’s too wet/soft, it could stick.
Can I use Rye Sourdough discard? If so, any adjustments to the recipe since Rye is such a different texture?
Hi Sue! That should be fine to use active sourdough stater made from rye. You may need to incorporate a few extra stretch and folds during the bulk fermentation to add strength. If your dough is sticky, you may adjust the hydration or add a tad bit more flour as needed.
I’ve just made these and I’m so glad I did. Very straightforward process. I wonder how they would be with cinnamon sugar?
I can hardly wait to make these again!
Even my picky eater went back for more of these!
Hi Candace! That sounds like a great idea. I bet they’d taste amazing.
How can a cracker be so delicious when its made with 3 ingredients? This is one of the best sourdough discard recipes I’ve made so far, I cant wait to add different toppings.
These were so delicious, I couldn’t stop eating them. I wasn’t expecting all that yummyness from SD discord. I really liked the everything bagel seasoning. Sprinkled ranch on a few, Italian on a few, garlic seasoning and salt on some and all were excellent. Definitely going to try sprinkling in some cheddar or a bit of Parmesan next time. Thanks so much for the recipe… will be made over and over again!
I’m so glad you loved them, Bel!
Thanks for the recipe! They turned out great.
You’re welcome, Nicole! We love these too!
Making these, for a second time, today!! These disappeared almost immediately at work! I did change the parchment to a Silpat and it made it much easier to spread as the parchment started seizing up as the discard pulled it together. I used the Everything But The Bagel and Trader Joe’s “Elote” seasoning. So good!!! Also made your Artichoke & Spinach dip which was also delicious!!
Hi Izzy, that is a great tip about using Silpat. Thanks for sharing!
These taste sooo good, but mine stuck really badly to the parchment paper. When I tried to pull them off the paper was basically glued to the bottom of the crackers. Has this ever happened to you? I’m wondering if I should lightly coat the parchment paper in oil next time?
Oh no! Parchment paper usually helps with the sticking but next time you can lightly coat the parchment paper with oil or you can use a silicone baking mat. That should help!
Why did I wait so long to make these? Sourdough and discard has me so intimidated but this recipe seemed easy enough so I gave it a try. Oh, wow! So good! Thank you for creating such great recipes. 😊 No more store bought crackers for me.
Hi Angela! I’m so glad you tried the recipe. I’ve been making these crackers on repeat!
I usually don’t leave reviews but after making these crackers I had to write one! My daughter, who does not like anything sourdough, loves loves loves these crackers!!! It makes me so happy! They are crunchy, salty and not very sour at all! Thank you!!
Are you using discard directly from the refrigerator?
Hi Kathy! Yes, you can use it cold but you may want to take it out a little earlier so your butter doesn’t harden when you add it to cold discard.
How much cheese, seasonings & seeds should you use?
Hi there! I didn’t measure the amount but just sprinkled on top however much I wanted. You can use less or more per your preference. These are very versatile.
Should you feed the starter and wait for it to almost double before using it?
Hi Jeff, you do not need to feed it for this recipe. Sourdough discard is essentially an unfed/stirred starter.
Using your recipe I added cheddar cheese to one pan then I made another pan and added cheddar cheese and jalapeño peppers. My family loves them and I know I’m gonna have to be making more so thank you thank you for your recipe.
I’m so glad the family loves it, Ona! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Can’t believe how easy these were to make, and delicious! This will definitely become a regular feature in our house, thank you for the recipe!
Hi Kate! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Hi! My butter is turning solid once I add my discard in the large measuring cup.
Should I bring the sourdough discard to room temperature first? I didn’t see that in the recipe.
Hi Terri! If your butter is solidifying then yes, the stater should be kept out to come to room temperature or at least warmed up a little bit.
Not about the recipe, but “thank you” for suggesting the Dale Carnegie book. My Father took the “Dale Carnegie course and felt that everyone should read the book I agree!