Whole Wheat Sourdough & Herb Crackers

I’m hooked on crackers! I can’t believe it took me so long to start experimenting with them. I just love trying different flavor and flour combinations.

These Whole Wheat Sourdough & Herb Crackers turned out exceptionally well. It took me a couple of tries to get it right, but it was worth the effort. They are crispy and herby deliciousness!

 

I particularly like making crackers with sourdough because it gives them a delightful texture and the dough can last for a couple of days in the refrigerator. And, since you can use discarded sourdough, if you have a hard time discarding a cup when it’s time to feed it, this is a great way to use it up.

I’m currently testing how well sourdough cracker dough freezes. I’ve been making double batches on the weekend and freezing the dough so I have some around to bake (and eat) during the week. I want to enjoy some now and save some for later.

When I’m ready to bake crackers, I just take the dough out of the freezer, let it warm up to room temperature until it’s pliable, then I roll it out, cut the crackers and bake them. I don’t know how long it lasts in the freezer yet because I haven’t let it stay in there long enough to find out.

 

Whole Wheat Sourdough & Herb Crackers

Adapted from: Kitchen Stewardship’s Sourdough Thin Wheat Crackers

These delightful crackers are made with whole wheat pastry flour, sourdough starter, coconut oil and Herbes de Provence and sprinkled with a little Kosher salt.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fed sourdough starter * (I used my apple starter)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 3/4 – 2 cups cups whole wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon Sea salt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Herbes de Provence (or your favorite blend of dried herbs)
• Kosher salt, for sprinkling

* This recipe works with discarded sourdough or recently fed sourdough. 

 

Directions:

1) In a medium bowl, combine the sourdough starter and coconut oil. Add a cup flour, the Sea salt and herbs and mix thoroughly. Add as much additional flour as needed to make a dough that is workable, but not dry.

2) Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a lid to keep it from drying out and let it rest at room temperature for at least 7 hours. I let mine rest on the counter for a few hours, then I placed it in the refrigerator overnight to develop the flavor.

3) Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm up to room temperature before rolling out. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and place each ball on a greased or floured piece of parchment paper, or a nonstick baking mat. I wrapped 2 of the balls in plastic and put them in a freezer bag to freeze for a couple of days.

 

4) Roll the dough out very thinly on the parchment paper. Brush it with olive oil and sprinkle it lightly with Kosher salt. 

Note: A little will go a long way with the salt. You might not taste it when the crackers are freshly baked, but the next day, if you put too much, you’ll know it. Ask me how I know. Ha!

5) Cut the dough into squares or diamonds using a pizza cutter.

 

6) Bake the crackers in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for about 15 minutes until just golden brown. Bake them in batches, rotating the baking sheets if you are baking two at a time.

For crispy crackers: Let the crackers cool down completely in the oven. If you want to do this in an electric oven, leave the door slightly open so the crackers don’t continue baking while the oven is cooling down. 

 

7) Transfer the crackers to a wire rack. They will shrink in the oven and come apart on their own.  Let them cool down if you can.

 

Enjoy!

 

I’m glad I saved some of the dough for later because I ate all the crackers already. I had some for dinner with cheese and grapes and some for an afternoon snack the next day.

 

Happy Baking!

Cathy