Sourdough Discard “Saltine” Crackers
Sourdough Discard “Saltine” Crackers are easy to make and are made with sourdough discard and a handful of simple ingredients. They are a flaky, crisp cracker with a salty, buttery top.
A look at what is in Sourdough Discard “Saltine” Crackers:
Sourdough Discard- Also known as unfed starter, this can be used right out of the refrigerator cold. I have used unfed starter or “discard” anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks old. The starter will start getting thinner in consistency the longer it sits in the refrigerator and starts forming a hooch on the top. I mix the hooch back in and use it that way. It may need more flour during the kneading stage of working the dough with a thinner starter, whereas the starter that was thicker to begin with, didn’t need as much flour during the kneading process. Also, I noticed the crackers puffed up slightly more with the 2-day-old fed starter. Both batches tasted the same as long as they were baked until light golden brown. They will have a good crispy snap when baked long enough.
Flour- I like to use high-quality flour like King Arthur’s unbleached all-purpose flour. It has no preservatives and hasn’t been enriched. It is worth the extra cost in my book. The day I switched to using it, I noticed a noticeable difference in the quality of my baked goods and the overall taste. This is not a paid sponsorship; I am giving my heartfelt opinion.
Butter – I used salted butter for this recipe. 2 Tb for mixing in the crackers and 1-2 Tb melted butter for brushing on the top.
Salt- Fine sea salt was used in this recipe. Coarser sea salt would work just as well, maybe even better! Depends on your preferences, especially for the tops of the crackers.
Tools used:
Pastry brush, or Basting Brush- I highly recommend getting a pastry brush if you don’t have one. They are so useful for making crackers and breads, etc. I went years without one and wish I had purchased one sooner. I use it all the time for brushing on butter or oil.
Pizza cutter, or fluted cutter – I used a pizza cutter to cut out 2 x 2-inch square cracker shapes. If you want a more authentic saltine cracker look, you could opt for a fluted cutter.
Ruler- You can use a ruler to mark out your lines or help as a guide if you want to make your crackers as square as possible. I cut mine down the middle and eyeballed 2 inches on each side from there, and if my ends are a little uneven I was ok with that. They get eaten up fast in my house and they all taste the same, no matter the shape.
Something to poke holes- You want to poke holes in the tops of your crackers. The holes should go all the way through the cracker. This will let the heat escape to help them crisp evenly. You can use a fork, I have a metal kabob stick with 14 arms that works great to poke holes quickly.
Rolling pin- Ideally, if you have a pasta roller that would be optimal for getting a nice even thickness for the dough, but not everyone has one. For this recipe, and the sake of simplicity, I used a rolling pin. Lightly flouring your surface helps the dough not stick to the counter, but try to avoid heavy amounts of flour. Too much flour will cause the dough to become tough, overly dry, and make it slip around on the counter. Keeping the dough softer will help it grip the counter top just enough so you can roll it out easier, and to your desired thickness. Roll the dough out as thin as you like, the thinner you roll them the crispier they will be. I would say to roll them out no thicker than 1/8 inch. They will puff up a little the longer they set out before baking, and they will puff up some in the oven too.
Bench Scraper- I found a bench scarper works to help get the crackers up and on a cookie sheet, this can help eliminate finger indents on the crackers.
Parchment Paper- You can try to bake them on a greased baking sheet, but I have always used parchment paper for easy cleanup.
To store the crackers, let them cool on a cooling rack and then place in an airtight container for up to 1 week. If they become stale and soggy, bake them in a hot oven for a few minutes to crisp them back up.
Sourdough Discard “Saltine” Crackers
Ingredients
- 1 c Unfed Sourdough Starter or "Discard" I used mine cold, right out of the refrigerator.
- 1/2 c flour Plus extra flour for rolling out. May need more or less depending on your starter's hydration.
- 4 Tb melted, salted butter 2 Tb will be for spreading on top of the cracker.
- 1/4 tsp sea salt Plus extra salt for sprinkling on top.
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a mixing bowl, mix the 1 cup sourdough starter, 1/2 c flour, 2 Tb melted butter, and 1/4 tsp salt.
- Lightly flour your work surface and turn the dough out to knead. Knead in enough flour to make a soft, smooth workable dough that you can roll out, but be careful not to add in too much flour or they will be tough, and hard to roll out thin.
- With a rolling pin, roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick or thinner. Use a fluted rolling cutter, or pizza cutter to cut the dough into 2 x 2 inch squares. You can use a ruler to mark out your edges for more precision.
- Next, with a fork poke holes evenly throughout the crackers, all the way through them. This will help them bake evenly and allows trapped heat to escape, helping the cracker become crisper.
- Place the cracker on the prepared baking sheet and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown or your desired crispness.
- Let the crackers completely cool and then store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. If they lose their snap, put them in a hot oven for a few minutes to crisp them up again.
