Ingredients
Cheese & Dough
- 226 grams freshly shredded cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
- 100 grams sourdough discard (1/3 cup)
- 42 grams cold unsalted butter, cubed (3 tablespoons)
- 140 grams all-purpose flour (1 cup)
Seasonings
- 1 gram garlic powder (1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 gram onion powder (1/4 teaspoon)
- 3 grams salt (1/2 teaspoon)
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In a food processor, combine cheddar cheese, sourdough discard, cold cubed butter, all-purpose flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Pulse until the mixture reaches a wet sand texture and when pressed, sticks together without being dry.
- Chill the dough: Remove the dough onto a clean work surface, shape into a flat disc, wrap with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. For deeper flavor, you may refrigerate up to 2 days to allow long fermentation.
- Soften long-fermented dough: If the dough has been refrigerated for a long ferment, let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes to make rolling easier.
- Preheat oven and prepare baking sheet: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Roll and cut dough: On a lightly floured surface or parchment paper, roll the dough out into a 9-inch rectangular shape about 1/16 inch thick. Trim the edges to form an 8-inch square. Cut the dough into 1-inch wide strips vertically and horizontally, creating 64 square crackers.
- Dock and season crackers: Space the crackers on the baking sheet leaving small gaps. Use a toothpick to poke a small hole in the center of each cracker to prevent puffing. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt if desired.
- Bake the crackers: Bake for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. While baking the first batch, continue rolling and cutting any remaining dough for subsequent batches.
- Cool and serve: Remove crackers from oven, transfer to a wire rack, and allow to cool completely. Crackers become crunchier as they cool. Enjoy!
Notes
- Cheddar Cheese: Use sharp cheddar for extra flavor. You can blend in other cheeses like parmesan or asiago for variety. Freshly shredded cheese is preferred over pre-shredded for best taste.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works well for structure and texture.
- Butter: Use cold unsalted butter for the crispiest crackers. If using salted butter, reduce added salt by 1/4 teaspoon.
- Sourdough Starter: Active sourdough starter or discard can be used interchangeably as long as the weight matches.
- Rolling the dough: Roll dough evenly for consistent cracker thickness and baking.
- Chilling: Important to chill dough for easy rolling and to avoid stickiness. Long-fermented dough should rest at room temp before rolling.
- Batch baking: Bake crackers in batches as needed; re-roll leftover scraps until dough is exhausted.
- Storage: Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 3 months. Thaw in fridge and rest at room temperature before using.
- Recipe Scaling: Easily doubled for larger yields.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Snack
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
