Name: Easy cheesy flaky crackers with sourdough discard
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 95 min
Ingredients: 100 g all-purpose flour; 25 g whole grain rye flour ((or wheat, or all-purpose)); 90 g butter (cubed & chilled); 2-3 tbsp sourdough discard ((or creme fraiche)); 30 g matured hard cheese (finely grated); 1 tbsp dried ramson ((or other herbs)); 1 tsp salt; 1 egg (for eggwash); sesame seeds for sprinkling ((or other seeds))

I’m so happy to see so many of you being interested in repurposing the sourdough discard. I myself am always on the look for new ways of using the leftovers from my sourdough starter. That’s how I ended up baking these sourdough discard cheese crackers. And I love it that there are so many possibilities. Discard can basically be added to any dough/batter that contains flour and a liquid. That’s pretty much everything 🙂

Whether I throw the scraps in a crepes or pancakes batter, add it to a galette crust or to a babka dough, I try to avoid as much as possible to throw away the discard from my starter. I usually keep a small jar to collect the discharge in the fridge. And if after a week I end up with the jar full, I just pour it alltogether to a bowl and quickly bake a batch of seeded crisp bread, to have for days.

If you’re looking for a savoury, cheesy and buttery melt-in-your-mouth snack, look no further! This easy recipe for sourdough discard cheese crackers is here to stay!

When can I use the sourdough discard?

If you’ve only started putting together a starter, I suggest you refrain from saving and using the discard the first week or so, until you have a stable and consistently rising starter. What happens is that in the very first days there’s a battle for survival there in your sourdough starter jar. The good and the bad bacteria are fighting to take over the environment. That is why it is recommended to wait until you have a reliable starter that smells nice and rises consistently. Then you know the yeast bacteria have won and rule over the environment in your jar. If you haven’t started yet your sourdough journey, you might want to check out my sourdough starter diary, or how I started mine a year ago. And in the meantime, you can try this recipe with creme fraiche instead 🙂

If, on the other hand, you’re already a proud sourdough mamma or pappa, and just looking for ways of using that discard, you might want to start saving it in the fridge. I would, however, suggest not to use discard that has been standing in your fridge for more than one week. You can otherwise save it in the freezer and thaw before using. I haven’t personally done that, but I heard other sourdough fellows doing this and it seems to be working just fine.

So, grab your discard jar and let’s make it great again with this easy recipe for sourdough discard cheese crackers!

Ingredients

100g all-purpose flour
25g whole grain rye flour (or whole grain wheat, or plain all-purpose flour if you don’t have anything else at hand)
90g butter, cubed and chilled
2-3tbsp./around 50g discard from the fridge (or creme friache)
30g matured hard cheese, finely grated (cheddar, parmigiano, comte, smoked cheese etc.)
1tbsp. dried ramson (or other herbs)
1tsp. salt
1 egg (for eggwash)
sesame seeds to sprinkle on top (or poppyseed, sea salt flakes, caraway etc.)

Equipment

food processor (easier with it, can be done without)
baking paper
rolling pin
pizza wheel (optional)
pastry brush
oven tray

Easy method

1. Add the flour and the chilled butter to a food processor. Pulse a couple of times until evenly distributed and you get a sandy consistency. If you don’t have a food processor, you can do this in a bowl, using a fork at first, and then briefly with your hands. You don’t want to work the dough too much with your warm hands, so the butter doesn’t melt. That helps get a flaky cracker in the end.

2. Add the cold discard (creme fraiche) straight from the fridge, grated cheese, dried ramson (herbs) and salt to the food processor. Pulse a few times until it starts coming together in crumbs and if pressed between your fingers, the dough sticks together. If still too dry, add one tbsp. more of discard (creme fraiche) and repeat. If you don’t have a food processor, use a dough scraper or knife to mix the dough with cutting movements, until evenly distributed and it starts holding together.

3. Transfer the crumbly dough to a baking paper and with your hands gather it together and shape into a square. Do not knead! You want to work the dough with your hands for as little as possible, that will help you get that flaky consistency in the baked product. Wrap the dough with the baking paper and place into the fridge for one hour or so.

4. Preheat oven to 175C, no fan.

5. Take your square of dough out of the fridge and place on a baking paper dusted with flour. With a rolling pin roll it into a more or less square sheet, 0,5cm. thickness. With a pizza wheel (or a knife), cut into small narrow rectangles. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg with a fork. Brush the crackers with the eggwash, then sprinkle the seeds you like on top.

6. Transfer to an oven tray and bake in the preheated oven, middle rack, for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Let cool on the tray.

Enjoy as a snack, next to some tapas or with a tomato soup! And watch out, they disappear pretty fast 🙂

PRO Tips

*Double the portion and freeze half of the dough, right after you shape it in a square and wrap in baking paper. Take out when needed, thaw in the fridge overnight, then continue from step 4.

**These sourdough discard cheese crackers hold well in an airtight container, lined with a paper towel, for up to a week. But I think they won’t have such a long life.

Happy baking, everyone!