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Recipe

Simple sourdough crackers using sourdough starter discard

Prep time: 
60
Cook time: 
40
Skill level: 
Low
Serves: 
Two trays
A bowl of sourdough crackers, topped with sea salt, herbs and seeds. Served alongside cheese, fruit, veggies.

Fancy crackers are easy to make at home, especially if you have a sourdough starter. (ABC Everyday: Mary Grace Quigley)

Mary Grace Quigley began making sourdough in her Adelaide kitchen at the start of the pandemic in 2020. She wants others to know that it can be easy to make and shares recipes and bread hacks on Instagram and in a self-published book.

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Imagine sitting in the sun with friends, snacking on cheese, summer fruits, dips and the perfect sourdough crackers: crunchy, salty and a little addictive!

Every time I've made these simple crackers, they've disappeared faster than anything else on the table.

And, unlike most things that involve sourdough, this recipe can be made with very little planning.

All you need is a little bit of sourdough starter, which may or may not have been hanging around at the back of your fridge.

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Tips:

  • A rolling pin will be very useful for this recipe but you could also use a wine bottle in its place.
  • You can easily halve this recipe if you only want one tray of crackers.
  • If you don't have enough sourdough starter on hand, just feed your existing starter so you have enough. You can use it straight away and won't have to wait for it to get bubbly since the crackers don't need to rise. Using the sourdough just adds a little extra flavour.
  • The longer you leave the dough in the fridge, the more the tangy sourdough flavour of your crackers will develop.
  • You can also make this cracker dough a few days in advance and leave it in the fridge. Then you can simply roll it out and bake it when your guests are on their way!
Sourdough cracker dough, topped with herbs and seeds, rolled and cut, ready for baking. Made with starter discard.

Top your crackers with herbs and sea salt before baking. (ABC Everyday: Mary Grace Quigley )

Simple sourdough crackers using sourdough starter discard

Prep time: 
60
Cook time: 
40
Skill level: 
Low
Serves: 
Two trays

Ingredients

For the dough:

Toppings:

Method

  1. Mix the sourdough starter, water, olive oil and table salt together loosely. Then add the baker's flour, wholemeal flour, sunflower seeds and sesame seeds. Mix everything so that there is no visible flour.
  2. Leave the mixture for 5-10 minutes and then come back and give it a final mix using wet hands. Then place the dough covered in the fridge for 30 minutes (or longer) to let it firm up.
  3. After 30 minutes, preheat the oven to 190˚C. Remove the dough from the fridge and divide it into two portions. Take one portion and sprinkle some flour over it as well as over your bench top. Then, using a rolling pin, roll it out into a rectangle, about 2-3mm thick. Make sure it's even and not too thick in the middle compared with at the edges. Then carefully transfer the rectangle to a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
  4. If you have a water spray bottle handy, give the dough a little spray so that it becomes sticker again. You could also drizzle a little water over it using wet hands. Then coat your rosemary lightly with some olive oil and sprinkle it along with the flaked sea salt over the dough. Use your hands to press gently into the dough so that the salt and rosemary stick.
  5. Use a knife to cut vertical and horizontal lines into your dough to create squares about 4x4cm each (see image above).
  6. Repeat this process for the second dough ball. You can add different toppings, e.g. creating a mixture of any dried herbs you have in your cupboard will also be delicious!
  7. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, or until the crackers have a nice golden colour, turning the trays around mid-bake so they bake evenly.
  8. Once golden, remove the crackers from the oven and allow them to cool. Then enjoy them with an extravagant summer platter and all of your favourite people.
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