In today’s edition of What Else Can We Make With Sourdough, I bring you … Rosemary Olive Oil Sourdough Crackers! Crispy, tangy, salty, and full of buttery, herby flavor, these satisfy crunch-salty cravings in the most luscious way.
If you’ve joined the masses who’ve jumped on the quarantine sourdough train (have you tried my high altitude sourdough bread?), lucky you: you’ve now got a steady supply of sourdough starter in your home! It’s a living thing that needs regular feedings, just like a person (my starter’s name is Virginia). And every time you feed it, you have to remove a portion, lest it slowly take over your home. So the question is always, do we toss the starter (boo) or …. transform it into something else delicious? I hate wasting, so if I have time, I always make something with it (see also: Sourdough Pizza Dough).
Guys, these crackers are so luscious. So crispy and flavorful. And so easy! This recipe has literally five ingredients: starter, flour, olive oil, salt, and spices. You mix it up in one bowl, give it a quick knead or two, a short rest, and then roll it out.
Flour is still in short supply in many areas of the country (including mine), but the good news is that these crackers are highly customizable. My recipe calls for regular all-purpose flour, which I think makes the snappiest, crispiest, lightest cracker. But you can also use whole wheat, spelt, bread, 00 flour, or a mix. Keep in mind, though, that crackers made with whole-wheat or other whole-grain flours are going to have a drier, crumblier texture.
You can also flavor them with whatever you like. I used rosemary for this recipe because I’m a sucker for the combination of rosemary, olive oil, and sea salt. But I’ve made batches with chili flakes, everything bagel seasoning, chives, Italian seasoning, chopped pecans, parmesan cheese … feel free to get creative.
After a quick rest in the fridge, this dough rolls out beautifully. If you roll the crackers out on parchment paper, you can easily pick up the parchment and transfer it to a baking sheet rather than transferring the crackers individually.
For delicate, crispy crackers, you’ll want to roll the dough very thin, until it’s nearly translucent. If you prefer a sturdier cracker, keep the dough slightly thicker. I have also seen people use a pasta machine for consistently thin sheets of dough, and if you’ve got it in you, go that route. Honestly, I’m way too lazy to haul mine out of the pantry for such a quick recipe.
Roll the dough out in a rectangular shape – it doesn’t have to be perfect, but try to keep the sides roughly even so you don’t have to trim too much dough to maintain straight edges. Then brush lightly with olive oil, sprinkle on some flaky salt (I particularly love the texture of Maldon sea salt), and cut into squares. I find a pizza or ravioli cutter works beautifully for this, but you can use a sharp knife as well.
You can cut your crackers into round shapes, if you like (a mini biscuit cutter is perfect for this), but I actually prefer to cut mine into squares to minimize dough loss. Plus, it’s easier! And don’t worry if your crackers aren’t all exactly the same size. I think part of the charm of homemade crackers is that they look more rustic.
In order to keep the crackers from puffing up, poke them all over with the tines of a fork. I am notorious for forgetting this step, panicking, and pulling the crackers back out of the oven to poke them (they’re still fine).
Then just pop them into the oven and bake, rotating the sheets top to bottom and front to back to help ensure even browning. Although if your oven is like mine, you’ve got hot spots, and some crackers will come out browner than others. That’s ok! There’s someone in every crowd who likes the more well-done crackers. Not that we’re serving crowds these days. But you know what I mean.
When the crackers are done, allow them to cool completely before munching. They’ll continue to crisp as their heat and moisture dissipate.
Then try one, and see if you can stop eating them (spoiler alert: no one in my house could). I had a nice wedge of Humboldt Fog cheese ready to spread on these babies, and you know what? We never even cut into it. My husband said, “these are better than chips!” and then asked me to never bring home store-bought crackers again. Fewer trips to the grocery store, these days? Winning.
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Rosemary Olive Oil Sourdough Crackers
- Prep Time: 20 mins, plus resting time
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 40 mins, plus resting time
- Yield: 80–100 crackers, depending on size 1x
Description
Never throw out your sourdough discard again! These easy, crispy Rosemary Olive Oil Sourdough Crackers are a gorgeous blend of tangy, salty, and herby.
Ingredients
1 cup sourdough starter (unfed discarded starter is ideal)
1 cup all-purpose flour*
1/4 cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
2 TB dried rosemary (or 4 TB fresh), finely chopped
flaked sea salt, such as Maldon, for sprinkling
Instructions
1. In a medium bowl, combine all ingredients except flaky salt and work into a dough.
2. Knead the dough a few times until it transforms from sticky and craggy to smooth and firm.
3. Divide the dough in half and form each half into a roughly rectangular shape. Wrap each half in plastic wrap and let rest in fridge for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
4. Place one half of the dough on a sheet of parchment paper and sprinkle both sides lightly with flour. Roll out the dough into a rectangle, keeping the sides as even as possible to minimize trimming. For thin, crispy crackers, roll the dough as thinly as possible – it should be nearly translucent. For a sturdier crackers, keep it slightly thicker.
5. Using a pizza cutter, ravioli cutter, or sharp knife, trim the rough edges from the sides of the rectangle and discard (if you have a lot of leftover dough, you can re-roll it, but only do this once as it can make the crackers tough).
6. Using a pastry brush, brush the dough lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
7. Cut dough into squares of desired size (I like approximately 1.5 x 1.5 inches). It’s ok if they’re not completely uniform in size. And don’t worry about separating the crackers, as they’ll contract and separate as they bake. Alternatively, you can use a cookie or mini biscuit cutter to make round shapes, but you will lose some dough. Use a fork to prick holes all over the crackers.
8. Repeat steps 4-7 with the other half of your dough.
9. Transfer both sheets of parchment to baking sheets. Place in oven on middle and bottom racks and bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the baking sheets forward to back and top to bottom to ensure even cooking. Bake an additional 8-12 minutes until the crackers begin to brown on the edges. You’ll probably still have some hot spots in your oven so some crackers may become browner than others; just make sure they don’t burn!
10. Cool crackers completely before eating; they’ll continue to crisp as they cool.
Store leftovers in an airtight container.
Notes
… you can substitute other flours such as whole wheat, spelt, etc., but the texture of the crackers will be drier and crumblier.
… you can replace the rosemary with other herbs or seasonings such as chili flakes, parmesan cheese, or finely chopped nuts. I always add onion powder as it provides a nice base of savory flavor.
Best cracker ever! I’m making them every single day!
Quick and easy, I’ll never buy crackers again!👍
Thanks, P! They are a staple in our house now, too! So easy.
So easy and tasty, added poppy seeds and thyme as I was light on rosemary. So good that I doubt they will last till tomorrow. Great way to use up the discard!
Great adds, Carole!
They’re in the oven and smell so good!
Delicious! Hard to control myself from binge eating them. They did puff up a little, but so have my sourdough tortillas lately and I’m not sure why. I live in Conifer at 8800′ and wondering what I need to change. Any ideas?
First, they are delicious! Second, they are beyond easy and fun to make. My toddler loves helping me make them ☺️ Who knew crackers were so easy?! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe.
Yes – teach them early! 🙂
Unbelievably crispy and tasty. And my kids love them.
Yes! When a recipe passes the kid test I know I’m on the right track. 😉
I have had to make so many of these crackers the past two months that I don’t even have to look at the recipe anymore. And since I have memory issues…that’s saying something. Questions: how far in advance can I make the dough? How long do the crackers last in an airtight container? I know ours never last long but best guess?
It’s the same in my house! You can make the dough up to a day in advance (or even further if you freeze it – double-wrapped in plastic). The baked crackers will last a couple of weeks in an airtight container.
Using this highly addictive recipe I have also made garlic and herb as well as buttery Parmesan. I’m thinking of making a nut based cracker, oatmeal cracker, and a cool ranch! Have you tried any of those?
I have not, but the beauty of this recipe is it’s highly customizable!
Fantastic cracker. I am using my pasta roller to get them really thin. Made rye crackers today and WOW!!
A pasta roller is really the way to go to get them super thin!
Would this dough stand up to being rolled through a pasta roller? This looks great, can’t wait to try!
Yes, you can run it through a pasta maker. Just make sure you knead the dough enough to develop the gluten – it should be slightly stiff but still pliable.
Absolutely!
Thank you! I’m trying it this morning!!
Can you make the dough and freeze it?
I just made and I’m going to let ferment for 4 hours to break down the gluten strands a bit more .. then I’ll punch down and put in the fridge for 30 minutes. Anyone every try this? I’ll update my review comment when I bake them 🙂
Made them .. so good !!
Great!
I made these yesterday ~ SO delicious!! & easy to make.
Such a great way to use the sourdough starter.
I’m obsessed ~ will be making on the regular & trying different herbs & combinations. Will for sure be taking my cheese boards to a new level!!
Thanks for the great recipe 🙂
Really glad you loved them!
I cannot stop making these. I make double batches every time and they never last longer than a couple days. Even my kids binge them. I’ve tried various flavor combinations and they’ve all been as tasty as the next. This is our new go-to discard recipe! Thanks for a sourdough cracker recipe that is actually good!
I’m so glad you love them as much as I do! 🙂
These are amazing. My husband is always requesting them. Such an excellent way to use a good amount of discard! I use a mix of organic white & spelt flour. Have made these three times. This time ran out of rosemary so substituted thyme. Still good but the rosemary and onion powder really make the flavour pop! So happy to have a cracker recipe using olive oil not butter. Thanks for posting this!
Thank you!!
Excellent cracker and so easy to make. Finally not wasting my discard and baking something so tasty and unfortunately addictive!
I have made them with rosemary and with Zatar, and both were excellent.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Love the flavor and tecture. Some came our a little chewier than I’d like, but I assumed that’s cause I didn’t roll the dough thin enough. Is it also possible that I should lower the temp by 25 degrees because I’m at a lower altitude? ( Washington state)
Thanks!
Hi Kristen, your altitude should not affect the baking time. If some of your crackers are a little thicker than others, just remove the thinner ones with a spatula and pop the thicker ones back in the oven for an extra 3-5 minutes.
Probably a silly question, but do you measure the rosemary before or after you finely chop it? Thanks.
just wondering if anyone has subbed the olive oil for butter?
anybody have any thoughts on that?
Joy, my sister has used butter in place of oil and says it has worked beautifully. The crackers come out extra-crispy according to her.
any idea why my dough was so sticky? it was almost impossible to work with, could only roll out with an extra piece of parchment paper on top of dough, under roller
Perhaps your starter was extra hydrated? When that happens to me, I simply sprinkle it with more flour until it’s handle-able.
I’ve baked these yummy crackers so many times I have lost count. Any ingredients work and they are so well received I have shared your recipes with so many friends including 2 who are willing to learn about sourdough! Thank you so much!
This recipe is so easy and delicious! What a great use for discard.
Hi,
Can I ask when you say All purpose flour, is this in the US?
In the UK, All purpose is what we use for cakes etc, so I am wondering if I should be using bread flour, which is the equivalent on All purpose in the US?
Thanks!
I believe the closest thing to AP flour in the UK is known as “plain flour.” Just stay away from self-raising flour which contains s baking powder.
Easy and delicious! I can’t wait to try some other flavor combinations! Thanks!
So I used extra virgin olive oil cause that’s what I had on hand, will that matter?
I have made these several times & they always turn out delicious. What ever herbs or spice make your taste buds happy will work
I love rosemary and I love this recipe. I use a MARCATO pasta machine to roll out the dough because I don’t get along with rolling pins. They’re absolutely delicious; I crave them all the time. I love these with homemade chipotle hummus…
These are absolutely amazing! I made them twice so far and the second time experimented with adding fed sourdough starter instead of unfed and added a splash of maple syrup , which turned them to even a higher level of fantastic taste! They tasted like they were made with butter. Served then with a homemade guacamole.
So good! However I realized I forgot to
Put in the 1/2 tap salt. When is that supposed to be added? Thankfully I put the flaky salt on top, yum! Made hummus to go with them. Amazing! Will make again!
I have made these every morning for the past 3weeks and they barely last til the afternoon with my boys and husband. What would you need to do different if you used active starter rather then discard?
Best cracker recipe I have ever made! My kids and husband loved them. Best discard recipe ever! Absolutely in love.
Hello, we’re loving these crackers but do you know what a cup of sourdough would be in grams? With it being so sticky, it’s hard to get it in and out of a cup and would eliminate a step to just do directly. Thank you!
My husband said these are better than any store-bought cracker and I agree! Thank you for the recipe!