This is a fabulous recipe for using up your extra sourdough starter.

I don’t tend to make a ton of bread because we have so many excellent artisan bakeries in town, but I like to keep my sourdough starter fresh, which means I either throw out the majority of my old starter or try to find ways to incorporate it into other recipes.

I’m not a huge fan of the usual suspects—sourdough pancakes or waffles—so I’ve been making variations on a theme of these crackers for over a year now. Sometimes I use rosemary, sometimes thyme, or even a pinch of smoked paprika. I brush with a little water prior to baking or sometimes a little olive oil and sprinkle on top a little more herb, salt, or cracked pepper.

The recipe below is really a base for your imagination and taste buds!

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients

1 cup leftover sourdough starter
1 cup flour—white or whole wheat
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon dried rosemary chopped finely
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed (if you don’t grind flax seeds they will not become bioavailable)
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
1 small bowl water or olive oil
1 pinch sea salt or cracked black pepper

Instructions:

1. Combine flour, sourdough starter, olive oil, and salt.

2. Mix in rosemary, flax seed and sesame seeds until combined.

3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet/s with parchment paper.

4. On a well-floured surface, take a portion of the dough (how much depends on the size of your baking sheet and oven), and roll out to your desired thickness. I like my crackers rather thin, but you might like them thicker.

5. Very carefully, transfer rolled-out dough to your parchment paper-covered baking sheet.

6. Dip pastry brush into either olive or water and thinly coat the crackers. Sprinkle salt, black pepper, or even another herb on top.

7. Bake for a total of 10 minutes, turning the baking sheet once at the halfway mark.

8. Remove from oven and let cool on a rack to let air circulate above and below.

9. Break into cracker-sized pieces and store in an airtight container.

Recipe Notes:

Your oven might be hotter or cooler than mine, so after the first few minutes, adjust the baking time if needed. The cooking time will also be dependent on how thin or thick your crackers turn out. In other words, don’t blame me if you burn your first batch.

I try to use locally sourced, organic flour. If you can find it, it’s definitely better for you, your local economy, and the earth.

If you use whole wheat flour, you might need to add a tiny bit more liquid to your dough if it feels too stiff.

You can also roll out your dough directly on your piece of parchment paper that you then just lift onto your baking sheet.

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