Sourdough Discard Crackers with Herbs and Edible Flowers

A crisp, infinitely adaptable flatbread that puts discard starter to good use. Adapted from a recipe on the blog Love & Olive Oil.

Rating

5 stars (2 reviews)

Keywords

discard starter, discard starter recipe, recipe for discard starter, sourdough crackers, sourdough discard, sourdough discard recipe, sourdough flatbreads

Ingredients

200 g discard sourdough starter ((100% hydration))
75 g all-purpose flour
45 g whole wheat flour
12 g rye flour
3 tbsp (32 g) extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
assorted fresh herbs and/or edible flowers
Maldon or other flaky sea salt, (for topping)

Steps

In a large bowl, combine the discard starter, flours, olive oil, and salt. Mix everything together, and then knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball. (About 3-5 minutes of kneading by hand.) Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, divide it in half, and place one half back in the fridge. Divide the other half into four roughly equal pieces.
Place one of the four pieces of dough on a lightly floured surface, and roll it into a thin rectangle. Then, if you have a pasta machine or KitchenAid pasta maker attachment, roll the dough even thinner by sending it through the pasta machine until you get to setting 6 (out of 8).
Place the thin, rolled out sheet of dough on a lightly floured surface, and scatter herbs and edible flower petals over half the sheet. Fold the other half of the dough over the herb-covered portion, encasing the herbs and flowers. Using your hands and/or a rolling pin, gently press and/or roll the dough halves together, so that the herbs and flowers do not fall out.
Send the piece of dough, now filled with herbs and flowers, through the pasta machine again, starting at setting 4, and going up to setting 6. (If you don't have a pasta machine, just use a rolling pin to roll the dough out as thinly as possible.)
Transfer the the rolled out cracker to the parchment-lined baking sheet. If it is too long to fit, use a knife or dough scraper to trim the cracker, then roll out the scraps, using the method described above.
Repeat with additional pieces of dough until you have filled the first baking sheet.
Spritz the rolled out crackers with water, then sprinkle with Maldon.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 12-15 minutes, turning the pan halfway through, until the crackers are crisp and starting to turn a light golden brown. When done, remove the baking sheet from the oven, and gently transfer the crackers to a wire rack to cool.
While the first pan is baking, repeat the process above to fill the second baking sheet, and bake as described above.
Continue forming crackers, filling each baking sheet, and baking, until you have used the first four pieces of dough. And then repeat with the dough left in the refrigerator.

Reviews

Odette Ching on 2020-04-11 (5 stars):
Elizabeth, thx for your prompt reply (love your site- gorgeous photos and such creative recipes!). I'm prediabetic, looking for ways to lower my glucose readings. I have read that fermented baked goods do just that. At the same time, I'm looking for sourdough discard recipes. With this said, it makes sense that categories #3 and #2 below, would be the healthier approach/strategy for me. The info is from "Cultures for Health.com" FERMENTED VS. UNFERMENTED DISCARDED STARTER RECIPES The recipes that meet the above criteria can be broken down into three categories: 1. Sourdough Flavor, Unfermented Flour. Recipes that call for added flour, no fermentation or soaking time, and are baked immediately. The sourdough starter adds flavor but the flour or grain in the final product is unfermented. 2. Sourdough Flavor, Fermented Flour. Recipes that include additional flour which is fermented (or soaked) for some time before baking. The sourdough starter not only adds flavor in this case, but the flour or grains in the final product are fermented. 3. Sourdough Flavor, No Flour Added. Recipes that call only for discarded starter and no additional flour, and therefore have no need for further fermentation.
Elizabeth on 2019-12-21 (5 stars):
this recipe looks beautiful, thank you so much for sharing it! I have a question on the knead consistency. Should the dough be a rather thick and tough to mix, or should it be quite pliable and soft? I would appreciate knowing the consistency i should look out for. Thank you!