These homemade, herb-seasoned, sourdough crackers are deliciously tangy, crisp, and buttery. The perfect way to use up excess starter or discard, this whole wheat cracker recipe makes a great snack or appetizer.
This has been a big week here at the farm. We tore down the cottage garden, the barn got a little face-lift, and we are preparing for some new animals.
Now, let me explain. The cottage was basically built on a dirt floor, which resulted in lots of decay, termite damage, and mold. Plus, it wasn’t even original, but appears to have been built in the 50’s.
Now that it is gone, I have a beautiful view of the barn. We also have the space to plant a much larger garden, since the sunniest spot on the property now stands free.
Also, since the cottage had running water, we can now add a watering spigot for the garden.
The barn also got a little update. We replaced some rotting boards and freshened it up with a touch of white paint. For a barn built in the late 1800’s, it is in great shape. I can’t wait to put some flower beds in the front.
Just imagine with me for a second… washing dishes, looking out at your beautiful barn, flowers all around. I’m really excited.
The fencing around the barn was finished, as well, in preparation for some exciting new animals that should be arriving here shortly.
There are a lot of fun things going on around here lately. We’ve been here just over a year now, and we’re finally beginning to see many of our dreams for this property come to life.
We ended the week on a high note, whipping up some of these homemade sourdough crackers and, as usual, the kids inhaled them.
Tips For Making Homemade Sourdough Crackers
- Roll between greased sheets of parchment paper. This makes it much easier to roll and helps you get the dough super thin.
- You want to get the dough rolled out really thin, or else you’ll basically have tortillas.
- I like to start rolling the dough out as thin as possible an then using my hands to make it even thinner.
- I like using einkorn flour for these crackers, because it is not a fermented recipe. Einkorn is naturally easier to digest than regular flour.
- This recipe is a great way to use all that sourdough discard. Don’t waste your discard by throwing it in the trash, but rather use it it other delicious recipes.
- If you are new to sourdough, you can learn all about how to make sourdough starter from scratch here.
- Bake by weights? Check out my new baking conversion chart.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.
Ingredients:
Sourdough discarded – This is sourdough starter that hasn’t been fed. Many times people will just toss the discard before feeding it, but I’m not one to waste anything, and use discard in many recipes.
All-purpose flour – You can also substitute this for einkorn flour.
Butter – give sit a really delicious flavor. You could also use olive oil for a dairy free version.
Dried herbs – Basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme are all good options or a combination of any of those.
Salt – All good crackers have the perfect amount of salt.
Tools that you may need:
Rolling pin
How To Make Sourdough Crackers:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
In a large bowl, add discarded starter, flour, butter, herbs, and salt. Knead the dough just until it comes together.
Place dough onto a piece of parchment paper and then top with another piece of parchment paper.
Roll out super flat with a rolling pin.
The key is to get them really, really thin. If you don’t, they will end up more like tortillas than crackers.
I like to start with a rolling pin and also sure my fingers to spread it out even thinner.
Pull off the top piece of parchment paper, brush with butter, and sprinkle with more salt (optional).
Bake on parchment-lined baking sheet at 350 for 15 minutes.
Allow to cook for approximately 10 minutes before cutting them.
Store in an airtight container.
How To Store Crackers
If, somehow, your family doesn’t eat them all in one sitting, they will store well in an airtight container. Make sure to allow them to cool completely first. Typically, I like to use a glass mason jar with a swing top lid.
Variations:
Cheese crackers: Add fresh parmesan cheese.
Switch up herbs: Add one or more chopped herbs: rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, basil. Fresh or dried.
Seeds: Add chopped (if needed) seeds: pumpkin, poppy, flax, sunflower.
For a sweet version: Add cinnamon and sugar.
Sourdough Discard Crackers FAQ
What do you eat sourdough crackers with?
- Homemade Kefir Ranch Dressing
- Cheese
- Sliced tomatoes. You could make some caprese crackers by adding a slice of fresh mozzarella, a slice of tomato, and a little fresh basil.
- Onion Dip
- Goat cheese and honey. Add a little sliced fig to be extra fancy.
- Pesto
- Cheese and a slice of ham or turkey
- Hummus
How long will these stay good?
If stored correctly, they will stay good and crispy for up to a week.
Is sourdough discard good for you?
Sourdough discard contains natural yeasts and bacteria that helps break down the anti-nutrients and gluten in the flour. This makes it easier for your body to digest and the nutrients more readily absorbed.
Is sourdough discard fed or unfed?
It is unfed. Discard is usually the portion of the sourdough starter you toss before feeding your starter.
I never toss my sourdough starter, but rather use it in discard recipes.
How do I dispose of a lot of sourdough?
Use it in a variety of discard recipes: pancakes, waffles, pizza, cobbler, apple pie, cake, quick breads, biscuits, muffins…. the possibilities are endless.
Can I use sourdough discard straight from fridge?
Yes, as long as the starter has been fed within the last day or two it is fine to use straight from the fridge.
Find More Sourdough Discard Recipes:
- Sourdough Pancakes Recipe
- Sourdough Dutch Baby Pancake
- Cinnamon Maple Sourdough Apple Pie
- Healthy One Pot Meals- Sourdough Skillet
- Sourdough Crepes Recipes
- Easy Sourdough Flatbread
If you make this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @farmhouseonboone with your delicious creation.
Sourdough Crackers
Crispy homemade sourdough crackers with herbs are a delicious and crunchy snack or appetizer.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 3/4 cup AP flour or 1 cup AP einkorn flour
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1 tablespoon dried herbs (basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, thyme are all good options, or a combination of any of those)
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Mix ingredients and knead the dough just until it comes together.
- Place dough between two pieces of parchment paper and roll out as thin as possible.
- Remove the top piece of parchment paper and brush with butter/sprinkle with more salt (optional)
- Move the rolled out cracker dough that is on parchment paper onto a baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes until crispy.
- Cut with knife of break apart and store in an air-tight container.
Notes
Roll between greased sheets of parchment paper.
The key is to get them really really thin. If you don’t, they will end up more like tortillas than crackers.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 266Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 20mgSodium: 415mgCarbohydrates: 42gFiber: 4gSugar: 0gProtein: 7g
Emily says
What kind of butter do you use? softened? melted? cubed? I really want to make these today but dont know what to use. Thanks!
Kayla R says
This is what I want to know! I wish the recipe was clearer.
Lynn C says
You’ve probably figured it out by now but for those who come here looking for an answer like I did … I used softened and it came out fine.
Mary W says
Thanks – i needed that.
Kinsey Joy Largen says
I used melted, and it also came out just fine 🙃
Prudence says
Do you think a noodle maker would work for sourdough crackers? I’ve had success rolling regular cracker dough through the machine a few times to get it really thin. I wonder if you could just spray the rollers with some oil before cranking.
Lisa says
Yes! That would be perfect!
Hannah says
Do you cut the crackers out before baking or break them after?
Tish says
I’m sure you figured out by now 🙂 but for those looking for an answer… break them after they are done cooking.
Melanie says
Does this use a fed starter or unfed starter?
Lawrence says
Instead of butter could I use an alternative? Perhaps coconut oil , or olive oil , or ghee ?
Sandra says
I’m not a pro, but I used ghee instead of butter. They turned out perfectly tasty!
Lindsey says
Hi! Do you think I could let this sit for 8 hours to culture? I’m gluten intolerant and can tolerate cultured sourdough so I’d love to adapt this recipe to let the fresh flour ferment. Thank you!
Lisa says
Yes! I definitely think that would work great!
Stacey Smith says
Would it be ok with unbleached flour too to sit overnight? , trying to not eat store bought crackers anymore
Stacy says
I’m going to ferment and use grapeseed oil instead of butter this time. Going to make in morning along with my sourdough hot dog buns.
this recipe is the best!!
Stacey says
It did. Sorry I took a year to answer
Jessica says
Did fermenting work for you? We love these crackers but they would be perfect if fermented.
Molly says
Do you ever use Kamut flour? Would that be good to use in place of regular flour? Do you know the difference between that and elkhorn flour? The flour you use!😂
Jessica says
Loved these! Wonderful to have around. Great recipe
Katie says
Have you ever played around with a fermented cracker recipe? I’m new to sourdough so I’m not sure if that’s even a possibility??
Eloise says
These are absolutely delicious! They never last long because they’re so tasty – even by themselves. For some reason I always end up needing 1 cup of AP flour (might be the consistency of my starter!) and I split the dough into two parts so I can roll it out super thin. A little drizzle of olive oil and some kosher salt on top before baking make these extra decadent. Thanks for yet another amazing sourdough recipe, Lisa!
Danielle says
I rolled mine as thing as my cookie sheet could hold, any thinner it wouldn’t of fit… turned out like a giant tortilla.
Crystal says
The first time mine were like a big tortilla too. I don’t think I could have gotten them much thinner so I was surprised. Still tasted so good though! But the second time I tried to roll it out a littler thinner and I have to cook mine 30 minutes to get them crunchy. I might try next time separating the dough into two cookie sheets to see if getting them even thinner is possible.
Christina says
Lisa – I am so enjoying your YouTube channel and your blog. You are truly one impressive woman! My family and I have recently moved off grid and are learning to cook over our wood burning stove, function without having a sink to turn on, and learning to bake in a cast iron pot in the ground! Anyway,
I had taken a hiatus from baking but now feel we’ve hit our stride and I’m getting back into the swing of things.. My question is, if I want to use freshly milled einkorn flour in place of the AP do you think that’d be fine? How much would you suggest using? I have a hard time converting baking recipes from regular flour to freshly milled. Any tips would be so appreciated! Thank you sincerely. Also, a big congratulations on the birth of your new baby boy!
-Christina
Megan says
These were so yummy!! Thank you so much for sharing these. I baked it in two batches but I think I’ll split it into three next time to help get it so thin like you said! They were so yummy this go’round, though. Just going to experiment with it and get em perfecttt in my oven and climate 🙂
Kristina Lik says
Made these for the first time today and loved them! I used organic 6 grain flour instead and sprinkled with salt flakes and they are delicious. I also precut them right on the baking sheet with a small wavy cutting wheel before baking, and the result is clean, evenly cut pretty crackers!
Esther says
I just made these sourdough crackers — mixed them up yesterday afternoon and let the dough sit overnight in a covered bowl on the counter. I didn’t get around to rolling them out and baking them until nearly 24 hours later. They are tasty and crisp and worked perfectly even when adding that long ferment time. Thanks for a good recipe!
Lucia says
Hi, I’m 81 & have been using my discard for crackers for a long time & my family, friends & relatives all love them. I make a thickish batter & spread it on a baking tray with a spatula to desired thickness. Everyone’s favourites are the ones I add fennel seeds sparsely to the batter, sometimes it’s caraway seeds.
Just thought you’d like to try them yourself.
I’m in Australia & can’t get einkorn here, would love to try it, but it’s too expensive to get the imported one. I don’t know why it’s not grown here.
Love your site.
Anonymous says
Lucia, I like the idea of a batter rather than rolling. Makes sense you could get a thinner cracker.
Its awesome that you, at 81 are making great recipes and sharing ideas via the internet.
Monica says
These are delicious! I used softened, salted butter and AP flour. I left out the herbs and I doubled the batch. For the second batch, I split the dough in two and baked two sheets of it for a few less minutes. The first round, following the directions, was too thick as I couldn’t get them any thinner and still fit on my pan.
Monica says
I just pulled the last tray out of the oven. For this one, I used one sheet of parchment and my silicone mat. I hated to keep wasting parchment paper. It worked well! I also cut the crackers with a pizza cutter before baking. They’re now neat squares ☺️ I’ll definitely be using this recipe again.
Alicia S says
I made these with Fire Cider Salt( made with discard from Fire Cider) and Cheddar Cheese.Delicious!!!!
Lisa says
Sounds delicious!
Amy says
You did it again, Lisa! I pop into your blog to see what’s new, and subsequently I alter my menu plan for the week, as in . . . “what night am I making crackers now?” I’m with you on my inability to toss the discard. After all, the price of flour alone has doubled in our area in the past year. I’m not about to throw anything away! Thanks again for a fabulous recipe. Can’t wait to hear what your new animals are!
Shari Dickey says
Can’t wait to make these
Bernadette says
Hi there do you put the butter into the dough while kneading and use some more butter on the top or do you just mix the flour with the discard and no butter in the dough?
Loretta says
I’d like to know the answer to this as well. Is the butter added in the dough, used only to brush the top of the dough or both?
I actually just baked these, melted the butter and mixed it into the dough. They rolled out super thin – way too thin actually. Baked up more like a potato chip, but tasted great!
Next time I think I will just brush the top.
CL says
I tired making these tonight, but the cracker dough stuck to both sides of the parchment paper so I had to toss it out. Next time I’ll flour the bottom parchment and maybe grease the top parchment?
Lindsay says
In her notes, Lisa recommends greasing the parchment paper to make it easier to remove
g says
love this recipe! somehow it never turns out the same way twice lol but it is always tasty! the inconsistency probably has to do with me using starter in all kinds of states.
I actually have had better results using 1/4 cup of olive oil instead of butter and found it to be much easier to roll out as well. and lastly, rolling it nice and thin always leaves me with two sheets of crackers rather than one so I usually cut the dough in half before rolling out. thanks for the recipe!
Lisa says
I bet olive oil would be a delicious substitution! Thanks for sharing your tips.
Sue says
Hmmmm … wonder how a flavored oil would be…thinking Tuscan herb or herbs de Provençal???
G says
I actually used a rosemary infused olive oil (mistakenly, it was on sale and I didn’t read the label closely) and it was delicious! Filled the house with that holiday smell. However I would probably skip adding other dried herbs in that case unless you like to pack on the flavor. I prefer a more basic cracker to be more versatile
Sue says
These were soooo good! I totally goofed on the recipe and they still were excellent!! I didn’t read the recipe and mixed EVERYTHING together, I mean everything! Butter, spices (I used everything spice). I cut the recipe in half and now they’re gone 😳😫🫣. What would be the shelf life of these crackers (provided they last more than a day)?
Lisa says
Happy accident haha! They will last a few days at room temperature and can be frozen for a few months.
Jenna May says
Tried this recipe. I realized that I forgot to buy flour so I used some white rice flour instead, and I chose oregano + parsley as my seasonings; I found it better to press the crackers directly onto the baking sheet with oiled fingers (probably because the rice flour was a slightly different texture than these would normally be).
So flavorful and VERY delicious!
Watch them closely to make sure they don’t turn brown too quickly – even thought the brown cracker bits tasted so good that we ate those just the same as the lightly toasted bits! It made more than I thought, and we ate these with absolutely everything for a few days. Yum!
One of our family members is now waiting to buy a large bag of these whenever I make them again! Looking forward to trying them with some cheddar cheese mixed in…
Lisa says
Cheese sounds delicious. Sounds like they were a huge hit.
Susan Payne says
I made these today and they are delicious! I used 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon Penzeys Tuscan Sunset herb seasoning, and 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder. I divided dough in half and rolled out separately so that each half would fit cookie pan that measured approximately 18×13 inches. I was able to roll the dough very thin. You may want to score the dough before baking.
I didn’t and the crackers crumbled along the edges when I broke them up. I just consider the crumbles a Bakers Treat! I’ll definitely make these again.
Lisa says
That sounds like a delicious variation. Glad you enjoyed them.
Tammie says
Very easy to make, turned out wonderful
Lisa says
So wonderful to hear!
Emily says
These are so delicious…and I make them all the time. If anyone is curios it costs about $5 where I live to buy a box of einkorn crackers…this cost me (using einkorn flour) to make the same amount is around $.90 cents. So awesome…plus they taste better 😉
Lisa says
That is awesome! Thanks for sharing those numbers. Real food for less!