Sourdough Crackers Recipe with Field Garlic

Do you have too much sourdough starter? Hate dumping it down the drain? Me too!  It seems like it was fate that this week both our starter and field garlic were calling for attention at the same time…so this sourdough crackers recipe is for you!

These crispy sourdough crackers are a great way to use up leftover starter. This was my first time making crackers and definitely not the last. 

This spring, I went back to my favorite patch of wild garlic greens begging to be picked. This time of year, when the field garlic starts popping up all over my yard, the house sourdough starter gets active again after a long winter of hibernation. So let's bake these simple sourdough discard crackers with this good foraged green. 

The smell of fresh-baked bread can make even the most stoic person smile. But what if we told you that these homemade crackers have a scent that's even more intoxicating than freshly baked bread?

Let me explain: Sourdough is made by letting the yeast and bacteria in flour ferment, creating a complex (umami!) and unique flavor. But, of course, the longer you let it ferment, the sourer it gets. And these crispy crackers are fermented for 24 hours—which means they'll give your kitchen a fantastic aroma while they bake.

Proper Discard Discourse

You may have read that the best thing to do with your sourdough discard is to feed it to chickens or pigs or compost it. I'm not sure about all that—I don't have either of those options right now, and I'm determined not to let my bread go bad just because there isn't an outlet for it! 

I decided instead to make some delicious snacks out of what usually gets tossed into the trash bin...at least until later when we started baking twice as much bread as we need each week (so much for eating from scratch!).

I'm adding some field garlic (also known as wild garlic, crows garlic) to these homemade crackers, and they're even tastier.

Equipment

This is a great recipe is easy to make, and they're just as good with a cup of soup as they are on their own. You can use any flour you like for this recipe; I used all-purpose flour for this batch, but whole wheat or spelt flours would be delicious too! 

Baking sheet

You'll need a baking sheet or sheet tray to bake your cracker dough in. Lining your baking sheet with parchment paper makes it easier to transfer the crackers to a cooling rack once they are out of the oven. 

A sheet or two of parchment paper

Parchment paper makes it easy to transfer baked goods from baking sheets onto cooling racks. 

Large mixing bowl

A big bowl will help you mix all of the ingredients together for this recipe. You'll need a large bowl that's big enough to hold all of them at once without spilling over onto your countertop or floor! 

Food processor

If you don't have one already (or yours is too small!), now is a good time to invest in one—the food processor makes quick work of chopping up all of those vegetables! 

Silicone mat

A silicone mat will make your life a lot easier when you're rolling out the dough, and it'll also help prevent any cracks from forming in your final product.

Sharp knife

A sharp knife is essential for cutting the dough into shapes without tearing or ripping it. Plus, you'll be able to do it faster than with a dull knife!

Cookie-cutter or pizza cutter 

These tools make cutting these crackers super easy—just roll out the dough, cut it into pieces, and then bake them as usual.

Rolling pin

A rolling pin will help you get the dough nice and thin so that it cooks quickly and evenly in the oven when the baking time comes around!

Ingredients

Flour

There are quite a few alternative flours, such as white flour. Make sure to have some extra flour on hand if you need to add a small amount of flour to your dough.

Flaky salt

I used Maldon sea salt flakes, but any flaky salt will work.

Field garlic tops and bulbs

I used both in this recipe because they have a similar flavor profile (but different textures). If you can only find one or the other at your local farmer's market or grocery store, just use that one instead. You'll need about ¼ cup of each ingredient (tops and bulbs). I love its mild onion flavor, but use chives or green onion instead if you can't find it near you.

Field garlic is a wild green that looks like chives, and you can use it instead of those in this recipe. I love its mild onion flavor, but use chives or green onion instead if you can't find it near you.

Sourdough starter discard

This is the leftover liquid from feeding your starter. It should be discarded after a few days of not using it for baking or feeding, although some people like to keep it around for a week or two before using it in other recipes.

Unsalted Butter

Using unsalted butter will help you manage the amount of salt in your recipe. If using salted butter, reduce the salt added below by half an ounce (14g). Of course, feel free to omit salt altogether if desired.

Instructions

Take your unfed sourdough starter and add whole wheat flour and water in equal parts the night before. Once you have all of your ingredients and equipment together, it's time to make these delicious crackers! 

In a small bowl, combine flour, discard, and melted butter. Stir until well-combined. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set it aside.

Roll out your cracker dough until it is about ⅛-inch thick—you want this to be as thin as possible so that when they bake up, they will be crunchy like crackers! If desired, use a pizza cutter or a crinkle rotary cutter to cut them into squares (instead of using cookie cutters).

Do not overmix - this will result in tough crackers! Lightly brush tops with more butter or oil if desired and top with coarse sea salt.

Bake crackers for 20-25 minutes until golden brown - remove from oven when done and cool on a wire rack before serving.

Storage

Store your homemade sourdough crackers in an airtight container, either the one they were baked in or a new one. Keep them for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months!

Serving Suggestions

These crunchy crackers make a great snack to have on hand for any time of day. They're delicious by themselves or with dip, cheese, hummus, or pesto. They also pair well with one of my favorite dips like this onion dip or as part of an appetizer. Whatever you eat them with, they're sure to be a hit!

FAQ

Did you make this sourdough crackers recipe?