Sourdough Discard Crackers

 Managing the lifecycle of sourdough is something I am working on understanding. I am trying to master a feeding and fermenting cycle that doesn't waste anything. I think my favorite discard recipe is this cracker recipe. The last time I used sourdough, when we were all home during the pandemic. I would feed my starter in the morning when the boys had just started virtual school, and pop these discard crackers in the oven. Fourty minutes later we would have a tray of fresh, crispy crackers in the kitchen. I have never had to store these crackers. With three boys, the batch always gets eaten off the tray before the end of the day. (this is also why I don't have any photos of my crackers)

On lieu of crackers, let's remember virtual school. 😬

Below, I have included the original recipe, and two others that I have used successfully. You can add whatever seasoning you have on hand, or that your family likes. We are huge fans of everything bagel seasoning, and 90% of the time, that is what goes on our crackers. 

This recipe uses 1 cup of discard. I don't always have a full cup of discard when I feed my starter. If that is the case, I put the discard in a container and store it in the refrigerator until I accumulate enough.

Sourdough Discard Crackers

Ingredients:

1 cup discard

2 tbsp of melted butter or oil

salt to taste

chosen seasoning

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Mix one cup of discard with your melted butter and salt. 

2. Spread your mix thinly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. The thinner the mix, the crispier the crackers. Sprinkle any seasoning on top of your crackers. Everything bagel works great, smoked flake salt or elote are good too.

3. Bake your crackers in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. After 10 mniutes, remove the pan and using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the crackers into your desired shape and size. 

4. Return the crackers to the oven for 20-30 minutes (depending on the thickness of your dough) until the crackers are crispy and slightly browning on the edges. 

Variations:

Flax & Nutritional Yeast: Add 1 tbsp of flax meal and 1 tbsp of nutritional yeast to the batter with the oil and salt. These crackers are a little more hearty and have a great nutty and savory flavor.

Cheese: Add 1/3 cup of finely shredded cheese to the batter with the oil and salt. Be sure to spread these really thin. The cheese can make the dough thicker, and then they don't really crips up well.