Sourdough Crackers

Prep:40hCook:25h

Having made these several times now, I think there are two places where things can go wrong: Not rolling them out thinly enough. Not baking them long enough. Once I made both mistakes, and the crackers were too thick and not crisp. That said, looking at the photos both on the KAF website and in Melina’s book, I think if you want to make them slightly thicker, though no thicker than 1/16-inch thick, you can as long as you bake them long enough — an even golden brown color is the visual cue you are looking for. If you don’t have rye flour, you can simply use all all-purpose flour or you can use any other flour you have on hand, such as spelt, or any variety of freshly milled flour, etc. If you don’t have a starter but want to make these, stir together 100 grams water with 100 grams flour in a small bowl the night before you want to bake these. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest at room temperature. Use the entire mix as your starter the following day. If you want help getting started with sourdough bread baking, I have a free email course: Sourdough Demystified.

Updated at: Wed, 10 Jan 2024 19:17:53 GMT

Nutrition balance score

Good

Glycemic Index

Moderate

Glycemic Load

Low

Nutrition per serving

Calories32 kcal (2%)

Total Fat1.4 g (2%)

Carbs3.9 g (2%)

Sugars0.1 g (0%)

Protein0.8 g (2%)

Sodium40.5 mg (2%)

Fiber0.8 g (3%)

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Ingredients

48 servings

1 cupsourdough discard

unfed sourdough starter

½ cuprye flour

½ cupall-purpose flour

3gkosher salt

or 1/2 teaspoon if you are sensitive to salt

57gunsalted butter

for sprinkling or sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning

Instructions

Step 1

Mix together the sourdough starter, flours, salt, and butter until you have a cohesive dough. It’s OK if it’s a little sticky. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, divide into two portions, pat each into a rectangle, wrap in plastic wrap (or place in an airtight vessel), and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or longer — I’ve done this 24 hours in advance — until the dough is firm.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 3

Working with one piece of dough at a time, unwrap the plastic wrap and reserve it. Very lightly flour a piece of parchment, a rolling pin, and the top of the dough.

Step 4

Place the dough onto the floured parchment paper, and place the sheet of plastic wrap on top of the dough. Roll the dough as thinly as possible (see notes above), using your rolling pin to disperse it as evenly as possible over the parchment paper. It’s OK if the edges are ragged, but do try to make the dough as thin as possible — if it’s too thick, the crackers won’t be crisp.

Step 5

Transfer the dough-topped parchment sheet onto a baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil and then sprinkle the salt (and/or other toppings) over the top of the dough.

Step 6

Cut the dough as you wish. I like to do long strips, about 1.25 to 1.5 inches wide. I use my bench scraper, but a pizza wheel works well here, too.

Step 7

Bake the crackers for 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until they’re starting to brown around the edges. Depending on how thinly you’ve rolled them, they may be done closer to 25 minutes, so do check at the 20-minute mark.

Step 8

When fully browned, remove the crackers from the oven and place the pan on a rack to cool. I like to let the crackers cool completely on the sheet pan, which ensures they will be crisp ultimately.

Step 9

Repeat with the remaining portion of dough or keep it in the fridge or freezer until you are ready to use it.

Step 10

Store crackers in an airtight vessel at room temperature for up to a week. Freeze for longer storage.