Sourdough Cheese Crackers
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Crispy, crunchy sourdough cheese crackers are so simple to make with just 20 minutes of prep time! This recipe is perfect for using up sourdough discard (though starter works too!).
Sourdough Discard Cheese Crackers
These sourdough cheese crackers are the cheesy counterpart to my classic sourdough crackers. They are just as easy to make and you simply cannot eat just one!
I love making them as a snack for my kids, but they’d also be a tasty topping for tomato soup or a salad. You can even switch up the seasonings–I’ve been meaning to try them with some taco seasoning mixed in the dough or everything bagel seasoning sprinkled overtop. Yum!
Why You’ll Love Them
- More flavorful AND more nutritious than store-bought cheese crackers.
- So simple to make with no fancy tools or ingredients required. The prep work is minimal (only 20 minutes) and very easy. This recipe also doubles nicely!
- Kid-friendly (though adults love them too!). These are particularly tasty as a back to school snack or lunchbox treat.
- Customizable with your favorite cheeses, seasonings, shapes, etc. Feel free to get creative here (and be sure to let me know what you try!).
What You Need
Just a quick ingredient overview before we begin. If you have any substitution questions, I’ll try to answer them here!
- Sourdough discard. This is a byproduct of maintaining a sourdough starter. See my tip below on how old your discard should be for this recipe. If you don’t yet have a sourdough starter, head on over to my post on how to make a sourdough starter. Or you can always make my classic cheese crackers!
- Cheese. Use a finely shredded sharp cheddar (or your favorite hard cheese–suggestions below!). I prefer to shred my own for best results, but you can substitute pre-shredded in a pinch.
- Flour. Just regular, plain old all-purpose flour works for this recipe. Nothing fancy or special needed!
- Butter. You want to melt this, then let it cool until no longer warm to the touch before using. I use unsalted butter and add my salt separately; if you want to use salted butter, reduce the salt in the recipe to a scant ¾ teaspoon. I talk more about this preference in my post on salted vs unsalted butter, if you’re curious!
- Paprika. This adds color and a very subtle flavor. You can always used smoked paprika if you want a slightly smoky flavor!
- Salt. A very important ingredient! We’ll add some to the dough and even more over the crackers before they go in the oven. Note that the salt you add overtop before baking should be a coarser salt (I use and recommend kosher!).
As always, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
Sam’s Tip
The older your discard, the more sour your crackers will be. I recommend using discard that is no more than 48 hours old; if it’s much older and thinner, the dough will require more flour and your cracker could end up cakey instead of crispy.
How to Make Sourdough Cheese Crackers (Step-by-Step)
- Make the dough. Stir together the discard, flour, butter, paprika, and salt until well combined. Add the cheese and mix again until it is well incorporated throughout the dough–I usually use my hands for this part as the dough gets fairly stiff once the cheese is added.
- Chill. Form the dough into two equal discs, wrap each in plastic wrap, and place in the fridge to chill for half an hour.
- Roll it out. Roll out one disc of dough into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface (I am for about ⅛” or thinner). Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet.
- Cut & perforate. Cut the dough into 1″ squares using a pizza cutter or pastry wheel, then use a skewer to poke a hole in the center of each cracker. Repeat this process with your second disc of dough until you have two trays of cut and perforated crackers.
- Bake. Sprinkle the crackers with kosher salt, then transfer to the oven. Bake for 35 minutes, making sure to rotate the trays halfway through the bake time so they bake evenly.
- Cool completely. Turn off the oven and crack the door. Let the crackers rest for 30 minutes before removing to the counter to cool completely. Once the crackers are cool, you can break them apart and enjoy!
Sam’s Tip
If your crackers aren’t quite crisp after cooling completely, you may not have rolled your dough thin enough or baked them long enough. Baking longer usually fixes this!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! Any hard cheese should work. I think pepper jack, Swiss, Colby-Jack, Parmesan, and even Gouda would be tasty. Whatever you use, make sure it is finely shredded (preferably by you, instead of pre-shredded!).
Yes, just make sure to stir it down first. I also recommend weighing your active starter instead of measuring it with a measuring cup.
Your crackers will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container at room temperature.
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
I also have a full collection of sourdough discard recipes if you are looking for more.
Enjoy!
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Sourdough Cheese Crackers
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220 g) sourdough discard
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, melted then cooled until no longer warm to the touch
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1 scant teaspoon table salt, (slightly less than a full teaspoon)
- 8 oz (227 g) sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
- Kosher salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sourdough discard, flour, butter, paprika, and salt and stir well to thoroughly combine all ingredients.1 cup (220 g) sourdough discard, 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour, ⅓ cup (75 g) unsalted butter, ¼ teaspoon paprika, 1 scant teaspoon table salt
- Add cheese and mix until cheese is well incorporated into dough (I usually mix together by hand).8 oz (227 g) sharp cheddar cheese
- Divide the dough in half and form into two disks, wrap each disc in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- When dough is nearly finished chilling, arrange oven racks to the upper and lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350F (175C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
- Working with one disc at a time, roll dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll into a rectangular shape between 1/16- ⅛” thick, using a spatula to scrape under the dough as you roll so it doesn’t stick.
- Transfer to prepared baking sheet and use a pizza cutter or a pastry wheel to cut into 1” (2.5cm) squares.
- Use the butt-end of a wooden skewer to poke a hole in the center of each cracker and sprinkle lightly with kosher salt (I use about ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt per sheet).Kosher salt
- Repeat with the second disc of dough.
- Transfer baking sheets to the upper and lower third of 350F (175C) preheated oven and bake for 35 minutes, rotating trays halfway through.
- When finished baking turn off the oven and crack the door a bit (about an inch or two) and allow the crackers to cool in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool completely on the counter.
- Once cooled, break apart your crackers and enjoy!
Notes
Storing
Store cooled crackers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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