Cinnamon Sugar Sourdough Discard Crackers
If you keep a sourdough starter, you know the discard problem. It piles up fast and it feels wasteful to toss it. These crackers are one of the best things you can do with it. Crisp, buttery, just sweet enough, and made with whole grain flour so they actually have some substance to them.
The dough comes together in one bowl in about five minutes. Roll it thin, brush it with cinnamon sugar, and bake until golden. That is really all there is to it. We use our whole grain Red Fife or whole grain wheat flour depending on what we have open. Both work beautifully. Red Fife gives them a slightly nuttier, more complex flavour that is hard to stop eating.
These keep well in an airtight container for up to a week, though they rarely last that long. Double the batch if you are bringing them somewhere.
Sourdough Discard Crackers
For the Crackers
- 220 gSourdough discard, unfed
- 160 gWhole grain Red Fife flour or Whole grain wheat flour
- 50 gButter, softened
- 40 gSugar
- 5 gSalt
- 5 gVanilla extract
For the Topping
- 20 gAvocado oil or olive oil, for brushing
- 20 gSugar
- 1 gCinnamon
Directions
- Preheat your oven to 350F (180C). Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Add the discard, flour, softened butter, sugar, salt, and vanilla to a mixing bowl. Bring everything together with your hands or a wooden spoon until a smooth, pliable dough forms. It should not be sticky. If it is, add flour one tablespoon at a time until it comes together cleanly.
- Flatten dough with hands onto parchment paper. This makes it easier to roll out without tearing.
- Place a piece of parchment paper on top and roll out with a rolling pin to about 1.5mm thick (roughly 1/16 inch). The thinner you get it, the crispier your cracker. Take your time here.
- Peel off the top sheet of parchment. Slide the dough on its bottom parchment onto a baking sheet.
- Brush the sheet of dough with oil. Mix the sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over both sheets. Use as much or as little as you like.
- Use a pastry cutter or pizza cutter to cut the dough into crackers. You do not need to separate them yet.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until the crackers are golden and crisp across the whole sheet. Edges will colour first. Rotate the pans halfway through if your oven runs hot on one side.
- Remove from the oven and let cool completely on the pan before breaking into individual crackers. They crisp up further as they cool.
A Note on the Flour
Whole grain flour makes a real difference in these crackers. It adds flavour, texture, and nutrition that you simply do not get from a refined white flour. We reach for our whole grain Red Fife most often, but our whole grain wheat flour works just as well. Both are stone-milled fresh from certified organic Canadian Prairie wheat with nothing added and nothing removed.
Make Them Your Own
The cinnamon sugar topping is our favourite, but this base dough is very flexible. Skip the sweet topping entirely and brush with olive oil, flaky salt, and rosemary for a savoury version. Add everything bagel seasoning. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and a little soy sauce. The dough does not mind. It is a good foundation for whatever direction you want to take it.
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