Sourdough Discard Cheese Crackers

If you're looking for a way to use up some of that sourdough starter, you just have to try these addictive (and from scratch) Sourdough Discard Cheese Crackers. They are delightfully savory, and made with simple ingredients. You'll never want to buy cheese crackers from the store again!

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While I tend to make almost all of my foods from home, I have a weak spot when it comes to a few store bought foods. Especially certain ones that are full of things I know aren't good for me.

One of those foods is cheese crackers! I'm almost embarrassed to say it, because as someone who loves to cook, I don't understand how my palate will allow me to eat such an artificial tasting food. But alas, here I am.

Well, I decided to create my own version using sourdough starter, and boy, am I ever glad that I did!

These Sourdough Discard Cheese Crackers are tangy, chewy, and full of REAL cheese flavor. They are so much better than the grocery store version, even if they happen to take a lot more work.

Crackers with Buttermilk?

One of the ingredients I wanted to use was buttermilk. Not only am I able to make my own (see my post on culturing buttermilk), but it adds a lovely tanginess and tenderness to anything you add it too. Buttermilk is easily one of my favorite ingredients to bake with! See my Sourdough Texas Sheet Cake and Strawberry Buttermilk Muffins as proof.

If you don't have buttermilk on hand, that's okay! You can use soured milk (see the notes in the recipe card), or even just water!

Ingredients

• Sourdough discard: You will need a little less than 1 cup of sourdough discard to make this recipe. You can use cold, refrigerated sourdough discard or even active sourdough starter. The rise is not important for this recipe, so you can use whatever you have on hand.
• Flour: All purpose unbleached is what I like to use for my recipes, but you can use standard all purpose if that is what you have on hand.
• Cheese: You will need about 10oz of cheddar cheese that you will grate yourself. Pre shredded cheese contains anti-caking agents and preservatives that interfere with how well the cheese melts. I would not recommend using pre shredded cheese for this sourdough cheese cracker recipe.
• Butter: Just a little bit of melted and cooled butter helps these crackers come together and crisp up beautifully.
• Buttermilk: This buttermilk helps the dough stay tender, and works well with the sourdough discard to make a tangy cracker.
• Dry mustard powder: This is my secret addition for all things cheesy! It really enhances the cheese flavor!
• Salt: Because crackers just aren't crackers unless they have a little salt! I love using Redmond's Real Salt or Celtic Sea Salt for baking in my kitchen.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Cheese Crackers

Making the Dough

Start off by adding your sourdough discard to a large glass bowl.

Then, add in the buttermilk and stir well to combine. I love to use a Danish dough whisk for all of my sourdough baking, since I find it mixes well and less dough sticks to it than typical wooden spoons.

Add in the melted (and cooled) butter and whisk well to combine.

Adding the Cheese

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and dry mustard powder. Whisk to combine.

Add the flour to the wet ingredients, and stir just until combined.

Add in the shredded cheddar cheese.

Chilling the Dough

Fold the cheese into the dough mixture, and pat it into a solid piece.

Wrap the dough tightly with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 12-36 hours.

On Baking Day

Once you're ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and cut it in half. Wrap one half of the dough and place it back in the fridge to chill, and place the remaining dough half on a sheet of parchment or lightly floured surface.

Rolling and Scoring the Dough

Roll the dough out to an approximately ⅛" thick rectangle. Transfer the dough (and parchment paper) to a sheet pan.

Use a pastry wheel to cut the dough into small squares approximately ¾" wide.

Using the end of a chop stick or skewer, make a dent in each of the squares. Alternatively, you can use a fork.

Baking

Bake them in the preheated oven for 28-35 minutes, or until the very edges start to brown lightly.

Remove the crackers from the oven and allow to cool completely before transferring to an airtight container for storing.

Repeat with the remaining dough in the fridge.

How to Store Homemade Crackers

• Once your crackers have cooled completely, you can transfer them to an airtight storage container and keep them at room temperature for up to 5 days.
• It's important that you wait until the crackers are completely cool, otherwise they will collect condensation in their container, and thus are more susceptible to mold and will become soggy.
• If you would like to store your crackers for an extended time, store them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
• Homemade crackers may lose their crispness after the first day, so you can gently re-crisp them by placing them in a 250°F oven for 10-15 minutes. Be careful that they do not brown!

More Sourdough Discard Recipes

• Sourdough Discard Cornbread
• Sourdough Discard Drop Biscuits
• Sourdough Texas Sheet Cake
• Blueberry Cream Cheese Sourdough Baked Pancake
• And don't forget to check out my entire Sourdough archive!