Easy, crispy and delicious sourdough crackers using discards of sourdough starter, highly customisable, great as a delicious snack and perfect for parties, gifts or movie nights.
About the sourdough crackers…
As I started baking my own bread (a journey of constant learning, rewards and frustrations), I was wondering what I could do with the leftovers of the sourdough starter I accumulated. At first I attempted flat breads, but I still haven’t found a way to get them as I like. Somehow they always ended up looking unbaked in the middle.
Then I found this recipe for sourdough crackers. The crackers in the picture looked super cute and fun to do, plus the recipe wasn’t really difficult to do. so I gave it a try, and needless to say… l was in love!
I started tweaking the recipe to fit my personal taste, and finally, after many tests, I can share with you this recipe that I love and stand by. It’s a wonderful snack option, it adds a great crunch to any soups (have you tried my lentil soup yet? Is delicious!) and also, let me tell you, these crackers would look stunning on a party table, and would work as a great gift idea!
You can customise the toppings as you like, I personally tried the following versions:
- Parmesan and black pepper
- Chermoula (divine!)
- Smoked paprika, chives and urfa chilli
- Mixed seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, flax and sesame seeds) with fermented garlic honey
Even if you ask me which one is my favourite, I wouldn’t be able to tell, because they’re all delicious!
I also manage to include some wholemeal flour in the recipe, which has a significantly higher fibre content than white plain flour. But I leave it to you to decide which flour you want to use. However, one main suggestion would be to use an all purpose kind of flour; it’s lower in gluten and therefore the crackers are gonna be crispier and snappier. I’m positive it can also work with rye flour or spelt, but I haven’t tested those yet, so bear in mind that if you choose to use them, you might have to adjust the ratio of starter used in the recipe.
Have fun with this sourdough crackers, feel free to experiment with it and let me know in the comments if you have a favourite!
List of Ingredients
- Sourdough starter (unfed), 180gr
- Wholemeal flour, 40gr
- Plain white flour, 100gr
- Vegetable oil, 45-50gr (¼ cup) + more to brush the top layer
- Table salt, ¼ tsp
- Maldon sea salt flakes to sprinkle over the top
- Toppings of choice: smoked paprika, finely chopped chives, grated parmesan, fermented garlic honey, crushed black pepper, urfa chilli, mixed seeds
Servings
The recipe is a “batch recipe”, so it’s meant to last you a few days (if you manage to control yourself, unlike me!). You can always halve it if you need.
Method
- Mix together starter, flours, vegetable oil and salt, and knead for a couple of minutes to form a smooth ball (see picture above). You know it’s ready when you press the dome of dough with your fingers and it slightly springs back (but not completely). Transfer to a bowl with a lid, then leave it to rest for 30 minutes or so.
- Preheat your oven to 170℃ (330F). After the dough has rested, divide it into 3-4 pieces, and start rolling them out between two baking papers, as thin as you can go (1mm is ideal). Place the cracker sheets onto baking trays, brush them lightly with oil (or honey, or chermoula, or harissa, or any sort of paste or spread of your choice), sprinkle with flaky sea salt, spices, cheese or seeds, and then bake for 10-15 minutes, until they turn golden and feel dry to the touch.
- Cool them down and store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes:
I recently discovered this excellent way to store my spices: as I have a fairly small kitchen, hanging them to the fridge reduces the space used in the cabinets, and gives me a tidier way to store them and have them all easy to reach.