These simple crackers made with sourdough discard, seeds and olive oil are so delicious. They are thin, crispy, tangy and the perfect accompaniment to your favourite cheese board or platter of dips. I like to make a big batch of these seedy sourdough crackers every few of weeks to use up some sourdough ‘discard’ and keep our snack options healthy.

What makes these sourdough discard crackers so good?

Perhaps it’s the crispiness or the perfectly salty flavour? Or the joy of using up some of that sourdough discard that’s been sitting in the fridge? Maybe it’s knowing that you’re using whole, nutrient-dense ingredients? Or do you just love cooking from scratch?

Whatever the reason, you can enjoy these tasty crackers knowing that they are made from healthy, real ingredients. They are also free from additives such as flavour enhancers, maltodextrin, colours and seed oils commonly found in store-bought crackers.

What is sourdough starter v ‘discard’?

If you’re getting on the sourdough bandwagon, you probably hear the words sourdough ‘starter’ and sourdough ‘discard’ being used a lot. Essentially, sourdough ‘starter’ is the fed, active, bubbly starter that is ready to be used in baking sourdough bread or other goods.

The sourdough ‘discard’ is what is typically removed from the fed starter, after it has risen, and discarded before the next feeding (if you are not ready to bake bread).

Both sourdough starter and sourdough discard are the product of the fermentation of flour and water by wild yeast. This fermentation creates a tangy flavour and causes bread products to rise.

Instead of discarding at each feeding, you can save the ‘discard’ and keep it in a jar in the fridge for when you’d like to use it in recipes such as this one. Using sourdough ‘discard’ in recipes instead of actually discarding it reduces food waste and also saves you money. You can check out my article on how to care for a no-discard sourdough starter here.

sourdough starter rising to the top of the jar

Can you use sourdough starter in sourdough discard crackers?

You don’t have to use sourdough ‘discard’ to make these crackers, you can just as easily use fed and active sourdough starter if you’ve fed your starter and aren’t planning on making a loaf of sourdough bread. Because these crackers don’t require leavening, you can use whichever you have on hand.

If you use active sourdough starter, your crackers may rise slightly in the oven, which may make them a little less crispy. They will still taste delicious!

Check out my blog post on how to make a sourdough starter from scratch here.

Different seeds and herbs to try in your homemade crackers

This recipes calls for seeds and herbs, and you can use whatever you have on hand in your pantry to make these sourdough seed crackers. As long as the quantity of seeds adds up to the required amount. You can even add parmesan cheese! Some of the seeds and seasonings we love in our crackers include:

Sesame seeds
Sunflower seeds
Chia seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Poppy seeds
Hemp seeds
Sea salt flakes
Black pepper
Thyme
Italian herbs

seed cracker dough rolled out and slice on baking parchment

Can you substitute ingredients?

This recipe is great because you can swap out/in ingredients that you have in your pantry, as long as you follow the basic principles, you can make these adjustments:

Flour: You can use baker’s, all purpose, spelt, rye, einkorn or whole wheat flour. You could also use a combination of flours. You may have to reduce the amount of flour slightly if using rye or whole wheat flour, as these soak up more water than other flours.

Olive oil: You can use olive oil, coconut oil, tallow, butter or ghee in this recipe. Avoid using seed oils such as canola or vegetable oils.

Seeds: You can use any combination of seeds that you have on hand, as long as they make up to approximately 1/3 cup when combined.

Herbs: You can use any combination of herbs, as long as they add up to approximately 1 tablespoon.

How to make sourdough discard crackers

Combine ingredients

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

Combine the sourdough discard or starter and olive oil (or melted butter, coconut oil or ghee if using) in a medium mixing bowl. Add the flour/s, seeds, sea salt and herbs. This should make a slightly sticky dough that comes together into a ball.

sourdough seed cracker dough in glass bowl

Allow the dough to rest

Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap to prevent the top of the dough from drying out. Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour at room temperature. This helps to relax the gluten in the dough and makes it easier to roll out into thin crackers.

Roll out the dough onto parchment paper

Divide the dough into two and roll each piece out onto a piece of parchment paper using a rolling pin (or olive oil bottle/wine bottle if you don’t have a rolling pin!) You want to create a very thin layer of dough without it tearing or breaking apart.

If your dough is sticking to your rolling pin, you can add a piece of parchment paper to the top of the dough (so that is between two pieces of parchment paper) and roll it out this way. You can also use your hands to press out the dough to the edge of the parchment paper.

seed cracker dough rolled out and sliced

Cut into shapes

Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into desired shapes as above. I like to do basic rectangular shape and I don’t worry too much about them being uniform, this creates a rustic cracker that looks great! You can also use a cookie cutter or just cut long strips and then break them into pieces once cooled after baking. You don’t need to separate the pieces as they will not spread.

Bake

Carefully slide the parchment paper onto a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 15 minutes, then check and rotate your tray/s to ensue they are cooking evenly. Bake for a further 5 minutes, then check every 3-5 minutes until they are golden brown. You need to watch the crackers closely as oven temperatures vary and these crackers can burn quickly.

Cool and store your sourdough discard crackers

Once ready, remove from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely. Once cool, place your crackers in an airtight container to store them for up to two weeks. Enjoy on a cheese board, with your favourite dips or just as they are!