Sourdough has become the lifeblood of my household, and these crispy, flaky, salty, rustic sourdough butter crackers are no exception.
I feel like I’ve finally perfected this recipe, combining the smooth golden flavor of pastured butter with a long fermentation time to yield an easily digestible, artisan wheat cracker made with healthy saturated fat.
The extra-long fermentation time of these crackers also develops the classic sourdough tang and crunch. Don’t expect them to last long!
They make an easy choice for serving with cheese and charcuterie, alongside hummus, with guacamole, or on all their own.
A Quick Note on Why Sourdough Is Better for Your Digestion and in Turn Your Body.
Fermenting, soaking, and sprouting grains removes phytate, otherwise know as phytic acid. Phytate is found in all grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. While phytates won’t necessarily harm you, they do act as an anti-nutrient, binding with vitamins and minerals and decreasing the absorption of those nutrients. A diet relatively high in inadequately prepared grains can lead to malnutrition.
When sourdough undergoes a long fermentation process the enzymes in the culture start to break down starches, sugars, and proteins, thus making them much easier for our tummies to digest!
For more information on how to properly prepare your foods using time-honored traditional techniques, please refer to the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. This is the one book that I lovingly call my “Traditional Food Bible.”
Rustic Sourdough Butter Crackers
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 250 grams (1 cup) sourdough starter or discard, at 100% hydration
- 280 grams (2 cups) organic all-purpose flour
- 8 grams (3/4 teaspoon) sea salt
- 113 grams (1/2 cup) melted butter
- 105 grams (just shy 1/2 cup) filtered water
For the Garnish:
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon water
- 15 grams (1 to 2 teaspoons) artisan salt
- 5 grams herbs, optional
Instructions
The Night Before Baking:
- Weigh or measure all the dough ingredients into a ceramic or glass mixing bowl.
- Mix the dough just until it comes together. There will be plenty of structure without developing extra gluten.
- Let the dough rest and rise, covered, for 12 to 16 hours.
The Next Day:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F.
- Transfer the dough to a floured surface and pat it into a rectangle. Cut the rectangle in half.
- Cut three sheets of parchment paper that will fit a large baking sheet.
- Place one piece of the dough in the center of a piece of parchment and cover with the other sheet.
- Use your hand to flatten the dough into a large rectangle. Then use a rolling pin to roll it to a thickness of about 1/8th inch. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper.
- In a small bowl beat the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Use a pastry brush to lightly coat the surface of the crackers with the egg wash. Sprinkle the cracker dough with a thick flake artisan salt and herbs if desired.
- Using a pizza cutter or knife cut the dough into cracker size squares. Prick (dock) each square twice with a fork to keep the dough from bubbling up in the oven.
- Slide the parchment paper onto the baking sheet and set the crackers aside.
- Repeat these steps with the remaining dough.
- Bake the crackers for 30 minutes at 350°F. Then turn the oven off and jar the door. I use a baking mitt between the door and frame to just barely keep the oven door open. Let the crackers cool completely in the oven.
- Once cool, store the crackers in an airtight container.
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Erin
Thursday 16th of January 2025
I add one more step. Cut different sized squares for a third of the rolled out dough. I usually will make every third cut wider on the rolled out dough.
When they are baked, the larger sized crackers will cook slightly less than the smaller ones. Taste a few and take the best sized ones for presentation on the table. The over or under baked ones are for snacking.
These are great to make when you have a small odd amount of butter left. Melt butter and add to the mixed dry ingredients, then add a teaspoon of water at a time until thr right dough consistency. Essentially it is hardtack with added butter and spices.
I have been baking this recipe by eyeball for years.
Butter For All
Thursday 23rd of January 2025
That's very clever, Erin! Sometimes I will remove the outer crackers as they brown and let the inner crackers continue to bake. But I really like your idea!
Emily
Sunday 4th of August 2024
These look so good! Have you tried making them dairy free with lard or coconut oil instead of butter? Thanks!
Butter For All
Wednesday 7th of August 2024
Hi Emily,
I haven't tried that but I'm sure either one would be a good substitute. Hope you they them!
Judy Miracle
Wednesday 15th of November 2023
I think this recipe is why I’ve been saving too much discard. I just made your Discard Cracker with Rosemary and they were awesome. I have a second batch in the oven now. Tomorrow I will make these and my charcuterie contribution is done!
Butter For All
Tuesday 12th of December 2023
Hi Judy!
I love that you're using these recipes to make crackers. The discard crackers are wonderful and crisp and the butter crackers are tender and flaky, they're very different but they're both very enjoyable. Hope all your guests enjoyed them! My best to you :-)
milou
Tuesday 21st of June 2022
These look amazing! I haven't seen a cracker recipe use butter, but the result looks delicious. Also, excited to see some Humboldt Fog! That's got to be one of the tastiest cheeses ever made.
Butter For All
Wednesday 29th of June 2022
Hi Milou!
I'll agree with you there! Everything Cypress Grove makes is delicious! We even had Humboldt Fog at our wedding :)
Hope you enjoy the crackers!!!
Courtney
Claudine
Thursday 17th of March 2022
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! This has been my go-to cracker recipe for months now. Today I baked a batch with half kamut flour and a kamut starter. It was what was on hand. I stored the dough in the fridge for 36 hours after 12 hours at room temperature, as I had no time to bake until today. They turned out excellent, a bit tangier in flavour, which makes them even harder to resist!
Butter For All
Thursday 17th of March 2022
Hi Claudine!
This sounds so wonderful! Especially with kamut because it has a buttery flavor on its own. Double the butter flavor!
Thank you so much for the nice feedback, I really appreciate it!
Courtney