Simple 24-Hour Fermented Sourdough Crackers
When we were eating Matzo for Passover everyone in the family kind of hinted that maybe homemade crackers should be a regular deal. For some reason I had it in my head that this was much to laborious a process to become a common food in our home but really, it’s not.
Especially since I mix up the dough in five minutes and walk away for 12-24 hours. Then, when a window of time in which I’ll be in the kitchen anyway (and not rushing to prepare a meal) presents itself, I roll and bake them. That’s actually one of the things I really like about sourdough: I can do it on my own time.
Plus, with a long fermentation, the fibers and starches are broken down when the lactic acid bacteria go to work. Just like the breads in Traditionally Fermented Foods, I almost always shoot for at least a 12-24 hour fermentation period. Things like pancakes and crackers are especially easy to ferment for long periods since you don’t depend on the sourdough for leavening and the break down of gluten in the process is actually helpful.
And, with the tangy flavor sourdough imparts, these crackers are full of flavor.
Sourdough Crackers
Ingredients
- 4 cups flour
- 1/3 cup solid coconut oil or lard
- 1.5 teaspoons salt + more for pan
- 1/2 cup starter (see tips for a better, active starter)
- 1 cup water
- 2 eggs
Directions
Combine the flour and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Using a pastry cutter, fork, or clean hands, cut the fat into the flour and salt mixture until it is about the size of peas. Make a well in the flour-fat mixture.
To the well, add the water, starter, and eggs. Beat together to break up the eggs and then incorporate into the dry ingredients. Add more water or flour, if needed, to form a firm but soft dough. Cover and leave to ferment for 8-24 hours.
When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Generously grease two baking sheets and sprinkle them with salt. Uncover the fermented dough and divide it into eighths. Roll out the dough into a thin rectangle and transfer that to one of your baking sheets. Cut the dough into 1-2″ squares and move these apart slightly on your baking sheet. Prick crackers several times with a fork. Repeat with one more section of dough.
Place crackers in preheated oven and bake 12-18 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool before eating. Repeat process with remaining cracker dough.
Those look delicious! My kids are going to love them. 🙂
Hi Raia – Our children couldn’t get enough!
Hi Shannon,
I would love to make this recipe but was wondering if it will be good using buckwheat flour or teff? I just received from Amazon your new cookbook and I am loving it! I can’t have wheat and I so appreciate you putting bread recipes in your book that don’t require wheat And I am definitely going to start a sourdough starter….today….using buckwheat. I absolutely love sourdough and now I can have it again….thank you so much for your beautiful cookbook!
Even though I have been making all kinds of cheese for years because we raise dairy and meat goats, I just had to make your Feta recipe, it is now made and salted and resting on the counter. I will brine it tomorrow. You are so right, it is a very simple to make recipe! I love it! It’s hard for me to pick which recipe of yours to make next.
Your pictures are beautiful and the recipes are delicious! The Lord has blessed you with many gifts and talents. Many more blessings to you and your family.
Joni – Awww thank you for your very kind words. I am so glad you made the feta cheese! Our whole family really likes it. 🙂
You know, just after I posted this I was wondering why I haven’t put together a GF sourdough cracker recipe. I generally do not find that GF flours sub well one for one with wheat flour so I can’t say for sure that subbing would work. However, in considering what I would do to test out a GF version of this, here is what I would do:
Cut the recipe in half so that I don’t use a ton of ingredients on a test :).
Probably add 2 Tablespoons ground psyllium husk as a binder.
Up the eggs to 2 per 1/2 recipe.
Start with the same amount of liquid ingredients as the original ratios.
Start with 1.5 cups GF flour combo such as buckwheat and rice, teff and millet, oat and arrowroot, etc.
See how that feels and then add more flour as needed to create a moist but stiff dough (remember that the 24 hour fermentation really helps hydrate the dough so it absorbs moisture during this period).
Continue with recipe as written.
If you try it, please let us know how it goes! I may do some experimenting myself and will report back if I find something that works.
Thanks again, Joni!
I just found your blog after searching for lard storage ideas. I love it already. I have always been interested in the simpler life. Your family is beautiful! Your photos are as well. Wow! Beautiful children and home.
Please feel free to stop by our homestead blog and see what is going on.
YUMMY! Sourdough crackers is something I haven’t tried with my starter yet! Excited to give this recipe a go!
THanks for sharing Shannon.
I agree that as I am trying to make more gf items, your suggestions in the comments may offer me an alternative. The recipe looks good, though, and the pics make me want to make this one!
Oh my kids would love these! It’s been ages since I’ve made homemade crackers! I need to get a starter going, I haven’t done sourdough in a long time, since we started keeping Passover actually.
Longtime reader and I’ve always loved your blog from a somewhat parallel universe: a Jewish intentional community on an urban homestead! How fascinating to learn that your family eats matzo. I’ve always felt that despite our different contexts we have more in common than not.
Ever try them without eggs??
i am excited to make these. :0 ) I thought they were intense too but you’ve inspired me to try.
These almost remind me of pita chips! They look delicious. I think my family would love them if I made them at home. It probably beats buying crackers from the store at the very least. What sort of dips do these go best with? Thanks for sharing your recipe!
I’m so excited to make these. The only thing I wanted for Christmas this year was your cookbook, and I was so pleased to get it! My sourdough hit day 6 and doubled! I am so excited (I used my partner’s surface heat ray reader gun thingy from the hardware store to find the right temperature spot in the house finally). I’ve made the crepes with discarded starter and they were a huge hit with my toddler and baby. I’m so excited to make these crackers for them next. I held my baby off grain until 1 (she just turned) wanting to give her soaked and fermented forms of organic grains when ready. It’s been hard but overall did pretty good. So grateful now that I have the knowledge to make everything for her and my son. Thank you so much for writing your book. I’ve convinced at least two friends since Christmas to go buy their own copies as well. My question here, why coconut oil or lard (I live in a little city up north, and no animal friendly lard source yet)? I mainly jow just use butter for baking and am wondering, would they work with butter do you think? Thanks again!