This Homemade Cracker Recipe Is The Best Use Of Your Leftover Sourdough Starter
Waste not want not.
So, you've been making sourdough bread from scratch. Instead of throwing out the excess sourdough starter you've been toiling away over, there are lots of ways you can bake with it.
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For instance, you can make crispy homemade sourdough crackers. They take about an hour from start to finish with very minimal work on your part, and they taste amazing.
King Arthur / Via kingarthurflour.com
I followed this recipe from King Arthur, which far exceeded my expectations. Here's exactly how I made them...and how you can too!
Each time you feed your sourdough starter, keep the discard in a separate jar in the fridge. When you've accumulated enough excess starter, you can use it in recipes. These crackers call for 1 cup of discarded sourdough starter, but you can always halve the recipe.
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Mix 1 cup of sourdough starter discard with 4 tablespoons of room temperature butter, one cup of flour, and 2 teaspoons of your favorite dried herbs like oregano, rosemary, or thyme. Mix it all together until combined.
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I went off recipe and also added some nutritional yeast to make the crackers taste cheesy.
Next, shape the dough into a rectangular log, cover it in plastic wrap, and move it to the refrigerator so it can firm up for about half an hour.
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While you let the dough firm, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the dough from the fridge. Lightly dust a piece of parchment paper and the top of the dough with flour. Use a rolling pin (or in my case, a wine bottle) to roll the dough into a thin, even layer. Transfer the parchment paper to a sheet pan.
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Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt. Using a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into small squares. Prick each cracker with the tip of a fork, then bake the dough in a pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes.
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Once they look done, remove from the oven and let cool.
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That's all it takes to make delicious, cheesy, crispy homemade crackers from scratch. Serve them with cheese and charcuterie, your favorite dip, or top them with butter or cream cheese. Best of all, you're making good use of your leftover sourdough starter rather than putting it to waste.
