Making your own homemade sourdough discard crackers has never been easier. With only four ingredients, these crackers come together in no time at all.

I love making sourdough bread, but sometimes I get carried away with making too much starter. I intend to use it for extra loaves, but then something distracts me (hello, mom life) and I forget all about it. This is where discard recipes come to the rescue — especially these discard crackers.
So, if you’re a sourdough fanatic, you’ve landed in the right corner of the internet. These four ingredient, extra buttery sourdough discard crackers are the perfect way to put your sourdough starter discard to good use and reduce food waste. They’re so simple, plus so easy to customize with your favorite toppings. And they’re phenomenal as a snack paired with your favorite dips!

How to Make Homemade Sourdough Crackers
To make homemade sourdough discard crackers, “start” off by making a simple dough with your starter. Chill the dough for a quick 30 minutes, then you’re all set to cut and bake!
- Make the dough: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the discard, all-purpose flour, butter, and salt. Divide the dough into two pieces, shape each one into a rough rectangle, then wrap in plastic wrap. Chill the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes.
- Roll the dough out: On a floured surface, roll the dough out thinly with a rolling pin. If desired, add the toppings of your choice and push them into the dough.
- Cut out the crackers: Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper and poke it all over with a fork. Then, cut the dough into small squares with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.
- Bake the crackers: Bake the crackers in the oven at 350°F for about 25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool to room temperature before serving.




Tips for the Crunchiest Sourdough Crackers
If this is your first time making a sourdough cracker recipe, don’t worry — it’s crazy easy! These three pointers will help you make crackers that rival any boxed variety.
- Roll the dough out on a floured surface. To ensure the dough is easy to work with, handle it on a well-floured surface. It’s not super sticky, but you don’t want to get caught up in a mess.
- Prick the dough with a fork to prevent bubbles. Don’t skip the step of poking the dough with the tines of a fork. This will help release steam so the crackers don’t bubble up while baking.
- Cool the crackers on a wire rack. Before serving the crackers, let them cool to room temperature on a wire rack. This will keep them super crunchy, light, and flakey.
Hot tip: To make rolling out and transferring the rolled dough to a sheet pan easier, roll the dough out directly on a silicone mat or a sheet of parchment paper.

Toppings Variations for Sourdough Crackers
While these crackers have a great flavor as-is, you can get as creative as you want with the toppings. To do so, roll out the dough, generously sprinkle it with your toppings, and roll over the toppings again to press them into the dough.
- Dried herbs: Dried rosemary, fennel, oregano, basil, thyme, or parsley are all great options. Use one or a couple of different kinds! Avoid using fresh herbs, as they will burn in the oven.
- Parmesan cheese & garlic powder: Sprinkle on finely grated Parmesan cheese for a nutty crunch, along with a couple tablespoons of garlic powder.
- Olive oil, coarse sea salt, & black pepper: Keep it simple and sprinkle on a bit of coarse, high-quality sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Then, drizzle on a very slight amount of extra virgin olive oil.
- Seeds: Sesame seeds or poppy seeds are our favorites. Roasted sunflower seeds are a great option for a higher protein cracker.
- Seasoning blends: Italian seasoning, everything bagel seasoning, zaatar, or your favorite spice blend are always welcome additions.
Dips to Serve with Crackers
You can’t go wrong with whatever dip you decide to serve with these crackers — the crackers are neutral enough to go with just about anything. Some of our favorites include canned salmon dip, avocado hummus, spinach artichoke dip, and tzatziki sauce. For a refreshing and light dip, try our whipped feta dip! Pair with baked brie in puff pastry for a warm, crowd-pleasing party appetizer!
Hot tip: Aside from pairing sourdough crackers with your favorite dips and spreads, you can crush them up and use them as a salad topper in place of croutons. Or, use them as a topper for tomato basil soup or salmon chowder. They’re even great as a crispy topping for homemade mac and cheese.
Storing Sourdough Crackers
Skip relying on boxed crackers 100% of the time and whip up a big batch of sourdough crackers to have on hand for easy snacking. Store them in the cupboard for several months in a sealed, airtight container. You’ll know they aren’t good anymore when they turn stale in texture.
More Tasty Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Sourdough Pizza Crust — The perfect mildly sour base to your homemade pizza
- Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies — Nutty browned butter sourdough cookies
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls — Cinnamon rolls… need I say more?
- Crazy Easy Sourdough Pancakes – Simple yet delicious sourdough discard pancakes
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sourdough starter or discard
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the discard, all-purpose flour, butter, and salt. Mix until you get a smooth texture.
- Divide the dough into two pieces and shape each one into a rough rectangle. Wrap them in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Lightly flour a work surface. Roll out the dough to about 1/16" thick. Optionally, add poppy seeds, sesame seeds, roasted garlic, or any other toppings you'd like and roll them gently into the dough.
- Transfer the dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Poke the dough all over with a fork. Slice it into 2-inch squares or your preferred shapes. Place onto a sheet pan.
- Bake at 350°F for about 25 minutes or until the crackers are golden brown. Halfway through baking, move the crackers around the baking sheet to promote even cooking.
- Remove the crackers from the baking sheet to a wire cooling rack. Let them rest and cool to room temperature before serving.
This recipe is a winner! I've tried a lot of cracker recipes, and this one is the best by far. It was easy, fast, and the crackers were delicious. The family loved them! Thank you for a wonderful recipe.
Hey Jenni, I'm glad you love these crackers as much as I do! Enjoy! 🙂
Stop the bus - need the sour dough starter to the cracker- yes I bet I have missed the starter link
Hi Sandy- Ah, I don't yet have a starter recipe on my blog. But, I do have an amazon storefront link for you, you'll see my favorite sourdough starter book and also some pre-made starters on there. These are all of my favorite sourdough tools. 🙂 Good luck!
https://www.amazon.com/shop/m…
I love sour dough bread, and this recipe is amazing! thank you for sharing
You're welcome. Enjoy!
Hi, I love your website and everything I have made turned out great. My question is, do you have a recipe for a sour dough starter? Or is there a place that you know of that I can purchase one.
Thank you and Be safe 🙏
Hi Jill- thank you so much! I don't have a recipe up yet, I hope to in the future! I can share a starter I found on amazon, and also a sourdough book I've used that has a starter recipe in it. Here is my Amazon affiliate link that has all the sourdough items I'm referring to in it: https://www.amazon.com/shop/m…
These were so easy to make and delicious! They went' perfectly with the homemade dips I made. So good!!!
Thanks for the feedback, Jill!! These are perfect for dips!
Brilliant!! I won't buy crackers from the store again!
Thanks, Diane! Glad you liked these crackers 🙂