Sourdough Discard Crackers are simple to make, crisp, and endlessly customizable. Add your favorite toppings—poppy seeds, sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, fresh herbs, or a sprinkle of sea salt—and cut them into any shape or size. This base recipe is perfect for adapting to your tastes and makes an easy snack or appetizer in about 30 minutes.
My first discard recipe and they are so good! I did everything bagel on half & cheese/rosemary on the other half. Quick and easy, but so good!
– Hevan
Why you’ll love this recipe
- Ready in about 30 minutes and very quick to prepare.
- Highly customizable—choose any toppings you like.
- Vegan-friendly and made without eggs.
- Easy to shape and cut into any size: small bite-sized crackers, large shareable pieces, or fun cookie-cutter shapes.
- Use this recipe as a starter for other sourdough discard creations like pretzels, bagels, or pizza dough.
Ingredients
If you have sourdough discard, you only need a few pantry staples to make these crackers.
- Sourdough discard: Use unfed discard at room temperature. This recipe assumes a starter kept at a 1:1 feeding ratio. If your starter uses a different ratio, a slight adjustment may be needed.
- Dry ingredients and fat: All-purpose flour, kosher salt, olive oil.
- Water: A small amount to bring the dough together.
- Toppings (optional): Everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, fresh rosemary, cracked black pepper, parmesan, or sea salt.
Full ingredient amounts and step-by-step instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Substitutions & Variations
This recipe is flexible. Try these easy swaps and tweaks:
- Active starter: You can replace the discard with active sourdough starter (200g) if you prefer; no other changes are required.
- Different toppings: Use seeds, herbs, spices, or cheese to vary flavor profiles.
- Shape and size: Cut crackers into any shapes or bake one full sheet and break it into pieces after baking for a rustic serving option.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Crackers
A quick overview of the process—complete instructions are below in the recipe card.
- Combine: Mix flour, discard, olive oil, and salt in a bowl or mixer. Add the water while mixing on low.
- Knead: Work the dough until smooth and not sticky. Add a pinch more flour if needed.
- Divide: Split the dough in two, flatten into disks on parchment, and rest 5 minutes.
- Roll thin: Roll to about 1/16-inch thickness, nearly covering the parchment.
- Add toppings: Sprinkle toppings and press them lightly into the dough with the rolling pin.
- Cut and dock: Cut to size and prick with a fork to keep crackers flat during baking. Transfer parchment to a baking sheet.
- Bake: Bake until the edges are just beginning to brown—watch closely, they can burn quickly.
- Cool and serve: Let the crackers cool completely to develop their crunch, then break and serve.
Expert Baking Tips
- Roll as thin as possible: Aim for about 1/16-inch for crispy crackers. Thicker dough yields a more “bready” result.
- Relax the dough if it springs back: Let it rest a few minutes and then roll again.
- Press toppings in: Rolling over toppings once helps them adhere and stay put during baking.
- Watch the oven: Thin crackers brown quickly; check in the final minutes.
- Cool fully before storing: Crunch develops as they cool.
How to Cut Sourdough Discard Crackers
The key to crisp crackers is rolling the dough thin. Once rolled, cut however you like:
- Use a pizza cutter or ravioli cutter to score a grid for uniform crackers.
- Use cookie cutters or biscuit cutters for fun shapes, and bake the scraps too—they’re tasty.
- Bake as a whole sheet and break pieces apart after baking for a rustic presentation.
Storage
Room temperature: Store fully cooled crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days to maintain crispness. Do not refrigerate.
Recipe FAQs
Sourdough discard is the portion of starter removed when you feed your starter. Instead of throwing it away, you can use it in recipes like these crackers to add flavor and reduce waste.
If the dough springs back while rolling, let it rest a few minutes. The gluten needs time to relax before you continue rolling.
Classic sea salt works well. Other options include sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning, fresh herbs, cracked black pepper, and grated parmesan.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Sourdough Discard Pizza Dough
- Sourdough Discard Bagels
- Sourdough Discard Pretzel Bites
- Sourdough Discard Garlic Knots
If you make these Sourdough Discard Crackers, please leave a star rating and share how they turned out in the comments. Happy baking!
Sourdough Discard Crackers
Jessica Vogl
Equipment
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Kitchen scale
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Parchment paper
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Half-sheet baking pans
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Pizza cutter or sharp knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discardunfed, at room temperature
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 Tablespoon water
- Toppings optional
Instructions
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In a stand mixer bowl or a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sourdough discard, olive oil, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the water. Increase to medium and mix until a smooth dough forms. You can also knead by hand. The dough should be smooth and not sticky; add a pinch more flour if needed.
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Divide the dough into two pieces and place each on a piece of parchment paper. Flatten each into a disk with your hands and let rest 5 minutes.
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Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
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Roll each disk to about 1/16-inch thickness, nearly covering the parchment. Sprinkle with toppings and roll once more to press them in.
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Use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the crackers to your desired size. Prick each cracker with a fork to prevent puffing. Transfer the parchment with the dough onto a baking sheet.
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Bake 10–12 minutes, watching closely near the end, until the edges just begin to brown. Remove from the baking sheet and let cool completely before serving.
Notes
To use active sourdough starter: Substitute the discard with 200g active starter; no other ingredient changes are necessary.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Protein: 2 g
Fat: 4 g
Sodium: 292 mg
Fiber: 1 g