Easy Sourdough “Discard” Crackers (just 3 ingredients!)

What even is “discard”?

I started making sourdough breads (etc.) about 6 years ago, and I remember being a bit overwhelmed by some of the intense instructions and requirements I found online — weighing, percentages and calculations (not necessary), special cooking dishes, dutch ovens and proofing bowls (not necessary), taking 3 days to make a loaf of bread (not necessary) … and “discarding” some of your starter (ALSO NOT NECESSARY)!

Make it easy on yourself and avoid food waste by simply using this so-called “discard” in another recipe!!! You can make crepes, pizza crust, fritters, crackers – you name it! Or donate it to a friend so they can feed it and start their own sourdough journey.

On a side note, since starter is essentially paper mache (i.e. glue), you should really avoid dumping it down any drains….

Ok, on to the important and oh-so-easy part: homemade crackers! Bonus – these can be made completely vegan and there is absolutely zero food waste and zero packaging waste involved.

I’ll share the basic recipe with you, but don’t stop there — add herbs, seeds and spices to your liking! A few options are included below, just as an example.

INGREDIENTS

Plain sourdough crackers:

• 1 cup sourdough starter
• 2 Tbsp olive oil, coconut oil, butter or vegan butter alternative (we’ve tried all of these and each time they turned out great)
• pinch sea salt

Or get creative, experiment with the add-ins below, or invent your own!

Option #1 – Super Seedy crackers:

• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast (this gives a cheesy, buttery taste despite being vegan)
• 2 Tbsp seeds (I like a combo of flax, sesame and sunflower)

Option #2 – Garlic & Herb crackers:

• 2 tsp each rosemary and oregano (fresh or dried)
• 1 tsp fresh garlic, minced

Option #3 – Spicy Fire crackers

• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp chili flakes
• 1 Tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• pinch black pepper
• top with sesame seeds

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Combine all ingredients (including any add-ins) into a bowl and mix well.
3. Line a baking sheet (cookie pan) with parchment paper (tip: you can save and reuse the parchment multiple times)
4. Spread cracker mixture over parchment thinly and evenly. I usually aim for a 9″ x 11″ area (it doesn’t have to be perfect!).
5. Bake crackers for 10 minutes.
6. Remove partially-baked crackers from the oven and use a pizza cutter or knife to slice them into desired cracker sizes/shapes. This step is simply to make it easier to snap apart your crackers once cooked. You don’t have to cut all the way through, but just scour enough so they will snap apart once completely cooked.
7. Place the baking sheet back into the oven for about 25-30 minutes, depending on the thickness of your crackers.
8. Remove from oven when crackers appear nicely browned and crispy.
9. Allow to cool, then break apart along the scoured edges.
10. Enjoy right away or store in a sealed jar for up to 10 days.

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