Sourdough Cheese Crackers Recipe

I’m sharing my Sourdough Cracker Recipes using unfed discard or an active long-ferment starter and a few pantry staples to recreate that big red box favorite at home.

I fell into making these Sourdough Cheese Crackers when I wanted something crunchy to keep me from snacking on other stuff, and they turned out way better than I expected. Using unfed sourdough discard and plenty of sharp cheddar gives that tangy, cheesy punch that makes them dangerously addictive.

Call it a Sourdough Crackers Recipe riff on the classic, or a homemade Cheez It Sourdough Discard knockoff, but whatever you call them they vanish fast. I promise its simple, and there are little tricks you learn on the second batch that make them even more impossible to share.

Ingredients

• Sourdough discard adds tang and subtle sourness, plus some enzymes and active cultures.
• Flour gives structure and carbs, little fiber unless whole grain, plain pantry staple.
• Cold butter gives flakiness and fat, adds richness and calories, not much protein.
• Cheddar adds sharp savory flavor plus protein and calcium, makes crackers salty and rich.
• Sea salt boosts flavor and texture with flaky crystals, contains sodium so use sparingly.
• Mustard powder deepens flavor, tiny bit goes a long way, no calories worth noting.
• Baking powder gives slight lift and airiness if used, not essential but helpful.

Ingredient Quantities

• 1/2 cup (120 g) unfed sourdough discard, OR 1/4 cup (60 g) active starter if you plan to long ferment
• 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all purpose flour
• 8 tablespoons (113 g) cold unsalted butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 cups (150 g) sharp cheddar, finely grated and packed
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder, optional for a little lift
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder, optional but nice for depth
• Freshly ground black pepper, a pinch or to taste, optional
• 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water, optional
• Coarse flaky sea salt for sprinkling, about 1/4 teaspoon

How to Make this

1. Preheat oven to 375 F (190 C) and line 1 or 2 baking sheets with parchment or a silicone mat.

2. Grate and pack 1 1/2 cups (150 g) sharp cheddar, cube 8 tablespoons (113 g) cold unsalted butter, and decide your starter: use 1/2 cup (120 g) unfed sourdough discard for immediate bake, OR 1/4 cup (60 g) active starter if you want to long ferment later.

3. In a large bowl combine 1 1/4 cups (160 g) all purpose flour, 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, 1/4 teaspoon baking powder (optional), 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder (optional), and a pinch of freshly ground black pepper (optional); toss together so dry spices are even.

4. Add the grated cheddar and toss it in the dry mix so the cheese is coated, then cut the cold butter into the mixture with a pastry cutter or your fingers until it looks like coarse crumbs with some pea sized bits.

5. Stir in your sourdough (discard or active starter) and mix until the dough just comes together; add 1 to 2 tablespoons cold water only if it feels too dry. Try not to overwork it, you want it shaggy not smooth.

6. Form the dough into a flat disk, wrap in plastic or parchment and chill at least 30 minutes. If you used active starter and want a deeper tang and more complexity, chill in the fridge 12 to 24 hours for a long ferment.

7. Roll the chilled dough between two sheets of parchment to very thin, about 1/16 inch (thin is key for crispiness). Trim edges and cut into crackers sized to your liking, then dock each cracker with a fork so they don’t bubble up.

8. Transfer crackers on the parchment to the baking sheet, chill them in the fridge 10 to 15 minutes before baking to reduce spread, then sprinkle lightly with coarse flaky sea salt (about 1/4 teaspoon total).

9. Bake at 375 F for about 12 to 16 minutes, rotating the pans halfway, until edges are golden brown. Watch closely near the end because thin crackers go from perfect to burnt fast.

10. Cool completely on a wire rack so they crisp up, then break apart and store in an airtight container. Pro tip: if they soften, pop them back in a 300 F oven for 3 to 5 minutes to revive the crunch.

Equipment Needed

1. Oven plus 1 or 2 baking sheets lined with parchment or a silicone mat
2. Box grater or microplane for grating the cheddar
3. Digital kitchen scale (preferred) and measuring cups/spoons for the recipe amounts
4. Large mixing bowl for combining dry ingredients and cheese
5. Pastry cutter or bench scraper (or your fingers) to cut the cold butter into crumbs
6. Rolling pin and extra sheets of parchment to roll the dough very thin between
7. Fork for docking and an offset or thin spatula to transfer crackers onto the sheet
8. Plastic wrap or parchment to chill the dough, a fridge, plus a wire rack for cooling and an airtight container for storage

FAQ

Sourdough Cheese Crackers Recipe Substitutions and Variations

• Sourdough discard: If you dont have discard, swap in 1/2 cup plain full fat yogurt or 1/2 cup buttermilk. It wont be quite as tangy but still works great, maybe cut any extra water by a little.
• All purpose flour: Use whole wheat pastry flour for nuttier, slightly denser crackers or a 1 to 1 gluten free baking blend (with xanthan gum included) if you need GF, expect a different texture.
• Cold unsalted butter: Substitute cold vegetable shortening 1 to 1 for a flakier, crispier result, or use chilled coconut oil (solid) if you dont mind a hint of coconut flavor.
• Sharp cheddar: Try finely grated Parmesan or Asiago for a sharper salty bite, or use Gruyere for a nuttier, creamier flavor; adjust salt since Parm is saltier.

Pro Tips

1. Keep the butter super cold and small. If you grate frozen butter on the coarse side of a box grater it mixes in faster and gives little flaky pockets when baked, trust me it helps a lot.

2. Dry the cheese a bit before mixing so it doesnt weep into the dough. Pop the blocks in the freezer 10 minutes then grate, and toss the grated cheese with a tablespoon of flour so the bits stay separate and distribute evenly.

3. Don’t overwork or over roll the dough, you want fragile layers not a tough cracker. Roll once to the thin level you want, cut, then re roll scraps only one time, otherwise they get dense and boring.

4. Two ways to boost flavor and crunch. For tang and complexity use the active starter and chill overnight in the fridge, it makes the cheese sing. Or if you want more nutty chew, brown the butter lightly, cool it, then use it instead of straight cold butter, but chill the dough longer so it firms up before rolling.