These homemade spicy cheddar sourdough crackers are absolutely amazing! This post was first published on my former blog called Mitch8 Blog on May 17, 2020. I am pleased to share that my sourdough starter is still alive!
My Sourdough Experience
I recently created a sourdough starter, who I named Marty. If you would like to learn about Marty and begin the process for yourself, I have included the link to my previous blog post here. It has been a very enjoyable and educational experience thus far. Sourdough starters are resilient but certainly seem to have a mind of their own. Even though I followed the instructions to a T, Marty still seemed to grow at his own pace. He started off slow, but he’s really growing now! In many ways, starters are like children. No two are alike, so there’s no use comparing them to others. As long as you love them and care for them properly, they will grow up just wonderfully.
Sourdough starter must be fed daily at room temperature, and sometimes twice a day depending on your routine. One thing I was not really aware of when I first began feeding my sourdough is that you have to discard part of your starter after each feeding. Basically, you replenish the part you’re discarding with the new food consisting of flour and water. You have to do this, unless you want an unmanageable amount of starter (and ultimately a waste of even more flour). Plus, it would be hard to find a container to hold it all as time goes on.
Sourdough Discard Uses
As soon as I created my sourdough starter, I knew I did not want to throw it away in the trash. I hate wasting food, even it is just fermented flour and water. These crackers are one one of the best uses in my opinion, but a quick Google or Pinterest search for “sourdough discard recipes” yielded thousands of results if you're looking for something else.
Once you have an established starter, you may store in the refrigerator long-term. With refrigerator storage, it only needs to be fed about once a week, thus making it extremely low-maintenance. Marty is now 10 days old, so he is still growing on the counter. He seems to be doubling in about 6 hours, so I started my first loaves of sourdough bread this afternoon. I am truly excited and will share the results (good or bad). I have shared the process thus far on my Instagram stories.
About these Spicy Cheddar Sourdough Crackers
The sourdough crackers are fairly simple and tasty. I have made crackers in the past, but they ended up being more like a pie crust rather than crackers. This recipe is a real keeper and features cheese and cayenne pepper to pack some flavor. These little bites are reminiscent of a Cheez-It but with some heat! They are addictive.
In the meantime, I am going to keep making these crackers with my discard. I used a fluted cutter to make the wavy edges, but a pizza cutter would work just fine. They are perfectly airy yet crunchy and full of flavor. The salt on top is just perfect! You may want to make a sourdough starter just so you can make these crackers. I am not joking! I will be sharing another variation tomorrow!
If you don't have a sourdough starter, make one! I have linked instructions to the process I followed here.
The recipe and photos of the process are below!
Spicy Cheddar Sourdough Crackers
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup sourdough starter discard unfed
- 2 Tbsp butter softened
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
- Olive oil for brushing
- Course sea salt for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix well until it forms a smooth and cohesive dough. The cayenne pepper and cheese should be evenly distributed. Shape into a flatten rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, or until the dough is firm.
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Lightly sprinkle a large piece of parchment paper and the top of the dough rectangle with flour. Using a rolling pin, gently roll out the dough into a large sheet until it is about 1/16” inch thick. It should be as uniform in thickness as possible to ensure even baking.
- Carefully transfer the parchment paper and dough onto your baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the olive oil over the entire surface of the dough. Sprinkle lightly with the coarse sea salt.
- Using a fluted pastry cutter or pizza cutter, gently cut the dough into small squares or rectangles. Prick each square with the tines of a fork. Separate the individuals squares slightly, if necessary.
- Bake the crackers for about 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. It may be necessary to rotate the pan or remove the crackers from the edges of the pan early to prevent excess browning. Once lightly browned, remove from the oven and let cool on a cooling rack. Store leftovers in an airtight container.
All-purpose flour
Sourdough starter discard
Mix it up (the butter and salt is in there too)!
Cheese and cayenne
Form into a nice ball
Flatten and reshape into a rectangle and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Once cooled and firm, roll it out on parchment paper.
Roll to 1/16" thickness. You will also brush with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt.
Cut with a fluted cutter (or pizza cutter).
Aren't they cute! These still need to be pricked with a fork.
Bake to golden perfection!
Be sure to check out these other great posts!
Yummy!
This has quickly become my go-to sourdough discard recipe! We love them extra spicy!
Lauren, thanks so much for posting this recipe! It is my go-to sourdough discard recipe too. I use more cayenne, some paprika, some red pepper flakes and ~ 3/4 cup aged white cheddar cheddar. Instead of using a rolling pin and fork, I store in refrigerator as a 1" thick rectangle then cut into ~ 1/4" strips to run through a pasta maker then roll over with a "cracker roller". Every time I make these, I find a new friend or family member to share them with. Everyone loves them!
These are delicious! I am always looking for ways to use up discard, and I will definitely make these crackers again. We snacked on them right out of the oven and used them as a topper for chili. Thank you for sharing this!