This project satisfies several kitchen itches, namely: makes good use of sourdough discard, shows some love for a neglected kitchen tool, and produces a simple, delicious cracker.  

The original version of this  recipe can be found at https://www.loveandoliveoil.com/2019/03/sourdough-crackers-with-olive-oil-herbs.html  I had just purchased some toasted sesame seeds on sale at my local supermarket and decided to change it up just a bit. 

Here is my version of the recipe:

Dry Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (60g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (60g) whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons (12g) rye flour
• 3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

 Wet Ingredients:

• 200 grams (about 1 cup) mature sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 2 tablespoons (32g) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoons (32g) toasted sesame oil

 Finish:

• Salt of choice  for topping

 

Procedure

In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients.  Add the wet ingredients.  Mix to combine, kneading until the dough comes together in a smooth ball.Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.  Longer refrigeration results in an improved sour flavor.

Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.  Longer refrigeration results in an improved sour flavor.

Position oven racks in the upper 1/3 and lower 1/3 of oven; preheat to 350 degrees F. Line four baking sheets with parchment or silicone baking mats.

Cut dough in half; put one half back in the fridge while you roll out the other.

Position a small bowl of flour on a kitchen scale and tare the scale (reset the scale to zero).  Set your pasta machine to the desired thickness.  Setting #5 (of 7) worked well for me.

Cut small pieces of dough and weigh each aiming for 10 gram pieces.  Once your eye gets calibrated, this will go faster than you think.  Roll each piece of dough in the flour before removing it from the scale.

Shape each 10g piece into a small ball and run it through the pasta machine.  Crank the machine with one hand and place the other under the machine to catch the formed cracker in your palm.  It helps to lightly four your palm and move it away from the machine as the cracker is formed.  I crank with my right and catch with my left but I'm left handed, so the opposite may work better for you. 

Alternatively, each piece can be rolled into an oblong rectangle with a rolling pin on a lightly floured surface and cut to desired shapes.

Lay the crackers side by side on a parchment-covered baking sheet.

Spritz or brush lightly with water; sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until lightly golden brown and crispy, rotating the pans top to bottom and back to front part way through baking.

Let cool, then transfer crackers to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.

Crackers will keep nestled in wax paper in an airtight container at room temperature for about a month

 

One of the things I love about this recipe is that it adapts well to different flours, oils and herbs.  Once you get the basics down, the possibilities are endless.  One note of caution, I tried it once with fennel seeds and found they had a tendency to catch and tear the dough as it rolled through the pasta machine.  Perhaps grinding them in a spice grinder would have been a better choice?  At any rate, they were still delicious!!

 Enjoy!