Easy Sourdough Discard Crackers (Thin & Crispy)
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Made with only four ingredients, these thin and crispy sourdough discard crackers are so easy to make and are so, so tasty: buttery and flaky with a perfect tang. The seasonings can be adapted to your tastes and preferences, and the dough freezes well, too π

If you are looking for a simple way to put your sourdough discard to good use, look no further. These thin and crispy crackers, made with three basic ingredients β flour, salt, and butter β plus a hefty amount of sourdough discard, will make you never want to discard your discard again.
They’re buttery and flaky with the perfect tang, delicious on their own, but even better topped with a slice of sharp cheddar cheese.
What’s more, while the recipe is simple, it can be gussied up in countless ways by using various flours or by adding herbs or spices to the dough itself or by topping them with various seeds or seed mixes: sesame, everything bagel, dukkah.
Find step-by-step instructions below, and find notes in the recipe box on how to make the dough ahead of time or freeze it for future use.
PS: If youβve ever wanted to build a sourdough starter from scratch, but have been too intimidated by the process, take the Sourdough Starter from Scratch Challenge.
PPS: If you need help maintaining your sourdough starter, I have a guide: How to Feed, Maintain, and Store a Sourdough Starter.
4 Other Favorite Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Simple Sourdough Discard Toasting Bread
- Simple Sourdough Discard Waffles
- Sourdough Tortillas
- Light and Fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes
How to Make Sourdough Discard Crackers, Step by Step
Place 200 grams of sourdough discard in a large bowl.
Add 1/2 cup of rye flour, 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour, butter, and salt. (You can use any mix of flours you like.)
Mix until you have a cohesive dough ball.
Cut the dough in half and pat it into two rectangles.
Wrap each in plastic wrap (or place in an airtight vessel) and chill for 30 minutes or longer.
Unwrap and roll the portion out as thinly as possible on a lightly floured sheet of parchment paper. Use the plastic wrap, too, to prevent sticking.
It’s OK if the finished shape is amoeba-shaped.
The key is to roll the dough thin.
Cut into cracker shapes β squares, rectangles, whatever you like. Brush with olive oil.
Season as you wish: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, or simply flaky sea salt.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until evenly golden β you do not want to underbake these.
Store them in an airtight vessel at room temperature for 1 week or freeze for longer storage.
Such a treat to have on hand! And so simple!
Easy Sourdough Discard Crackers (Thin & Crispy)
- Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
- Yield: 48
Description
Made with only four ingredients, these thin and crispy sourdough discard crackers are so easy to make and are so, so tasty: buttery and flaky with a perfect tang. The seasonings can be adapted to your tastes and preferences, and the dough freezes well, too π
This recipe has been adapted from A Year at Catbird Cottage and King Arthur Flour. Melina’s recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of finely chopped rosemary, and King Arthur Flour’s recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of dried herbs, so feel free to add those if you have them.
Having made these several times now, I think there are two places where things can go wrong:
- Not rolling them out thinly enough.
- Not baking them long enough.
Once I made both mistakes, and the crackers were too thick and not crisp. That said, looking at the photos both on the KAF website and in Melina’s book, I think if you want to make them slightly thicker, though no thicker than 1/16-inch thick, you can as long as you bake them long enough β an even golden brown color is the visual cue you are looking for.Β
Notes:Β
- If you don’t have rye flour, you can simply use all all-purpose flour or you can use any other flour you have on hand, such as spelt, or any variety of freshly milled flour, etc.Β
- If you don’t have a starter but want to make these, stir together 100 grams water with 100 grams flour in a small bowl the night before you want to bake these. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest at room temperature. Use the entire mix as your starter the following day.Β
- If you want help getting started with sourdough bread baking, I have a free email course: Sourdough Demystified.Β
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) sourdough discard (unfed sourdough starter)
- 1/2 cup (56 g) rye flour, see notes
- 1/2 cup (56 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon if you are sensitive to salt)
- 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- olive oil, for brushing
- flaky sea salt for sprinkling or sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning
Instructions
- Mix together the sourdough starter, flours, salt, and butter until you have a cohesive dough. It’s OK if it’s a little sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, divide into two portions, pat each into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap (or place in an airtight vessel), and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or longer β I’ve done this 24 hours in advance β until the dough is firm.
- Preheat the oven to 350Β°F.
- Working with one piece of dough at a time, unwrap the plastic wrap and reserve it. Very lightly flour a piece of parchment, a rolling pin, and the top of the dough.
- Place the dough onto the floured parchment paper, and place the sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Roll the dough as thinly as possible (see notes above), using your rolling pin to disperse it as evenly as possible over the parchment paper. It’s OK if the edges are ragged, but do try to make the dough as thin as possible β if it’s too thick, the crackers won’t be crisp.
- Transfer the dough-topped parchment sheet onto a baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil and then sprinkle the salt (and/or other toppings) over the top of the dough.
- Cut the dough as you wish. I like to do long strips, about 1.25 to 1.5 inches wide. I use my bench scraper, but a pizza wheel works well here, too.
- Bake the crackers for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until they’re starting to brown around the edges. Depending on how thinly you’ve rolled them, they may be done closer to 25 minutes, so do check at the 20-minute mark.Β
- When fully browned, remove the crackers from the oven and place the pan on a rack to cool. I like to let the crackers cool completely on the sheet pan, which ensures they will be crisp ultimately.
- Repeat with the remaining portion of dough or keep it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to use it.
- Store crackers in an airtight vessel at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage.
- Prep Time: 40 minutes
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Sourdough
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
344 Comments on “Easy Sourdough Discard Crackers (Thin & Crispy)”
Hi Ali …
I baked your sourdough discard crackers throughout the pandemic & mailed them off to my son & daughter-in-law several states away. They love the crackers & the bread, & have asked when I’ll start making sourdough again. I put my weekly sourdough bread baking on pause for a bit. Maybe I’ll start again this week! Looking for more recipes that use (unfed) sourdough discard π
Thanks for all the inspiration & amazing videos. Your Instagram is wonderful too!
Anthea
In case you have ever wondered if cracker dough can survive in your fridge for two weeks before baking, the answer is yes! It’s just as good as the day of. It might be a little more challenging to hand roll. I use my pasta maker, so a little crumble gets smoothed out. Love your recipes!
Great to hear, Julia! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this. I love that you use a pasta maker for rolling… others have, too, with success and I’ve been meaning to try π
Gave this a go with my extra disgard (starter) and it came out like a dream. Easy as well!Β
Great to hear! Thanks for writing π
These crackers are delicious and so easy to make. Β My question is, how long can the dough be kept in the freezer?
I’d say for up to 3 months.
I keep coming back to this recipe. Today is another time… I’ve just realised I have no butter, so will either replace it with oil – hmmmmm…. or have to make butter first (thermomix makes a doddle out of it)… Great recipe!!! Thanks a bunch!!
I know many others have had success with olive oil. Go for it!
Everyone loves these crackers. I put them in my kids lunch. Great healthy (not store bought) snack.
I have used whole wheat flour and coconut oil, they turned out great. I have done several flavour options. Cranberry/pumpkin seeds, cinnamon/maple sugar, cheese/chive…
I usually do a final roll over with the pin after sprinling on toppings as they tend to fall off after baking. It helps bind it to the dough π
So easy and delicious!
Great to hear, Kass! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes and tips… so helpful π
Hi Ali …
I’m making your yummy sourdough crackers again after dozens of batches during my early sourdough journey when I began running out of containers to store the discard. Now I can pace myself before it gets out of hand, thanks to your sourdough cracker recipe.
I made a triple batch, divided the dough into 3 thick toast-like slabs, & stored them (w/ parchment between the slabs) in the fridge overnight. Then I forgot! I remembered a week later. They still turned baked up great even after the long nap.
Question: How do you get the toppings to stick well & stay? I brushed w/olive oil & added the bigger toppings1st (poppy + sesame seeds + rosemary), then the smaller ones (salt + pepper + onion powder). Then I patted gently with flour dusted hand to push everything into the dough. The toppings stuck well before baking, then after baking, a good amount of the bigger toppings come loose when I moved them to a cooling rack. I reused those on the next batch.
I’m sending the crackers to my son & daughter-in-law. They loved them when I made some while they were visiting. I suspect the toppings will come loose by the time they get there in the mail.
I know you’re not offering recipes guaranteed to hold up in the mail … lol … but I’m wondering if you have any other tips. I guessing I might need to limit it to one larger topping with some salt, onion power, & pepper like you show with the sesame-topped ones above.
My apologies for the longwinded question, and no rush to reply. I’ll be making more to keep my discard in check π
My family would give these 10 stars π
Many thanks,
Anthea
πΈππ·
Hi Anthea! The biggest tip I have, thanks to a number of commenters experiencing the same issue, is to pass the rolling pin over the dough once you’ve sprinkled your toppings over the dough. You can do this with plastic wrap but if you are opposed to using plastic wrap, I bet a sheet of parchment paper would work just as well. I’m so happy to hear you and your family like these crackers!
π©·
Anthea
Iβve been working to strengthen my starter this week so I have a lot of discard. I decided to try this recipe. It was so easy and not only are the cracker delicious theyβre also very addicting. I used everything bagel seasoning on both sheets. Next time Iβm thinking about using my dill pickle seasoning. Thank you so much for the recipe.Β
Great to hear, Esther! Thanks so much for writing and sharing this π
So so easy and so yummy! And the flavours you can make are never ending!
Great to hear, Sarah! Thanks for writing π
These crackers are wonderful! Β So easy and a great way to use my sourdough discard! Β I added some chia seeds before rolling out the dough which gave them a really pretty look.Β
Thank you for emphasizing how important it is to roll them very thin. I was delighted with how crispy these were!
Great to hear, Laurie! Thanks so much for writing. Love the idea of adding chia seeds to the dough! Smart π
Day 8 of your Sourdough Starter, and I’ve got discard coming out of the yin-yang Ali π
I just baked these and they are delicious. Husband gobbling them down with a beer. Parmesan and onion flakes on one, chilli, parmesan, and cumin seeds on the other. Yummo!
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TRUTH!! So happy to hear this, Kylie. Waffles next! Then sourdough discard bread! You got this πͺ
WOW – these crackers were the best. I love love the rye flour flavor. I put herbs de provence and sesame seeds on one batch and dried rosemary on the second batch. So easy and a great way to use up the discard.
Great to hear, Beverly! Thanks so much for writing and sharing your notes π
Fantastic crisp, crunchy, delicious; I grind 1 tsp. of toasted caraway seeds and add to rye flour to enhance the rye flavor. I use a stiff starter always, so I add back 50% water from original starter mixing then add in flours. When they are done I turn off the oven and crack the door and let them sit for 30 minutes. This way I donβt have to roll them out quite so much and they puff up like a pita with a hollow center, great for scooping up cheese or crab dips and so crunchy!! Never discarding starter again! Thanks
Great to read all of this, Garry! Thanks so much for writing and sharing all of your notes. Love the idea of adding ground toasted caraway seeds here… yum!
These are so fabulous! I started making sourdough using your recipe and now Iβm hooked on these crackers too!
Great to hear, Teresa! Thanks so much for writing π
I sure like that all of these recipes are easy and direct. I have a break book shelf of shame due to over complicated bread recipes. I make the original Chad Robertson boule and an excellent pita and pizza. All of these other formats always seem to have 20 ridiculous steps to them.Β
Thanks for simplifying the simple tortilla, ciabatta and baguette for me. Next is to add these crackers.
So nice to read this, Roy π Thanks so much for writing and sharing this. Hope you love the crackers, too!
I was using the weight measurements for these crackers, but when I measured 56 grams of flour it wasnβt anywhere near 1/2 cup. I think itβs more like 68 grams. Could you double check?
Hi! I would go by the weight measurements…rye flour is so light, so if you shake the measuring cup, it will definitely be a scant 1/2 cup; if you spoon the flour into the measuring cup while it is on the scale untl it gets to 56 grams, it will be very close to 1/2 cup.