Sourdough Discard Herb Crackers

Before you start

Discard is unfed starter that you remove before feeding. It has little rising power left, but it carries plenty of flavor, and in a cracker that is all you need. Mixed with flour, olive oil and herbs it forms a firm, smooth dough that rolls paper-thin and bakes into crisp, slightly tangy crackers with blistered spots.

Thickness controls everything. Roll the dough between two sheets of parchment until you can almost see the paper through it, about 1.5 mm, and keep it even so the edges do not burn before the middle crisps. Score the sheet before baking, then break it apart afterward; the crackers snap cleanly along the lines.

Ingredients

• 200 g (scant 1 cup) sourdough discard (100% hydration) — unfed; refrigerated discard up to 1 week old is fine
• 100 g (¾ cup + 1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
• 50 g (¼ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 g (¾ tsp) fine salt
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves — or ½ tsp dried
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• as needed flaky salt — for the top

Method

1. Stir the discard, flour, olive oil, salt, herbs and pepper together until a smooth, firm dough forms. Knead it briefly in the bowl; it should feel like soft play dough and not stick to your hands. Add a tablespoon of flour if it does.
2. Divide the dough in half, flatten each piece into a disc, cover and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. (Or refrigerate up to 24 hours; let it soften 20 minutes before rolling.)
3. Heat the oven to 175°C (350°F) with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
4. Roll each disc between two sheets of parchment into a rectangle about 25 x 35 cm (10 x 14 in) and 1.5 mm thick. Peel off the top sheet and slide the bottom sheet with the dough onto a baking sheet.
5. Brush the dough very lightly with water and sprinkle with flaky salt. Score into 4 cm squares with a pizza wheel, cutting through the dough but not the paper. Prick each square once with a fork.
6. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, swapping and rotating the pans halfway, until the crackers are golden all over and the center squares feel dry and firm. Pull off any edge crackers that brown early and return the rest to the oven.
7. Cool on the pans for 15 minutes; they crisp further as they cool. Break apart along the score lines.

Tips for success

• Uneven thickness is the main reason for mixed batches of burnt and chewy crackers. Run your palm over the rolled dough to find thick spots.
• Discard straight from the refrigerator works well; older, more acidic discard simply makes a tangier cracker.
• If the center squares are still pliable after the edges are done, turn the oven off and leave them inside with the door ajar for 10 minutes.

Substitutions

All-purpose flour

Whole wheat or spelt flour makes a nuttier, more rustic cracker. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons water if the dough feels dry.

Olive oil

Melted butter gives a richer, shorter cracker that browns faster; reduce the bake by a few minutes.

Fresh herbs

Use 1 tablespoon everything-bagel seasoning, or 2 teaspoons seeds such as sesame and nigella, pressed onto the surface.

Variations

Parmesan pepper crackers

Add 40 g finely grated Parmesan and 1 tsp coarse pepper; skip the herbs.

Seeded rye crackers

Use 50 g rye flour and 50 g all-purpose, and add 2 tbsp mixed seeds to the dough.

Troubleshooting

Crackers are chewy, not crisp

They were rolled too thick or underbaked. Roll to 1.5 mm and bake until no pale, soft-looking patches remain.

Edges burned while the center stayed pale

The dough was thinner at the edges. Roll evenly and harvest the edge crackers early.

Dough shrinks back as you roll

It needs more rest. Cover it and wait 10 minutes, then continue.

Storage

Store completely cooled crackers in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks. If they soften, re-crisp at 150°C (300°F) for 5 to 8 minutes.

Safety notes

Do not taste the unbaked dough; raw flour can carry bacteria until baked. Contains wheat.