Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers are one of my favorite ways to use up extra discard in the fridge. You can really make infinite flavor combinations with these and get really creative, or just use what you have on hand. Pictured are rosemary Parmesan seed crackers.

You will need gluten free sourdough starter discard to make these crackers, and preferably from a superfine brown rice flour or sorghum flour starter. If you don't have a gluten-free sourdough starter, you will first need to make one and can find out how with my guide on How to Make a Gluten Free Sourdough Starter.

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What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the inactive portion of starter you remove before every feeding. Remember, you don't actually throw this portion away but store it in a jar in the fridge. The discarded portion of starter is considered inactive. This is because the wild yeast and bacteria have already consumed all of the energy - the flour and water - and no new energy is added to it. Because the discard is no longer active, it can be used in recipes that don't need yeast to leaven them. Think of all the baked goods you can make that don't need rise time - brownies, cookies, banana bread and other quick-breads, crackers, etc.

Can I use 2 Week Old Gluten Free Sourdough Discard?

Yes/it's totally up to you! The older the discard, the more sour the flavor will be. It's recommended to use newer discard for sweet recipes such as pancakes, and older discard for more savory recipes such as crackers, etc. Honestly, I've used two week old discard in pancakes and didn't notice a difference. It really depends on your starter - the flours you use, hydration ratio, and frequency in which its maintained.

One tip for preventing overly sour discard is to pour off any hooch that collects on the top instead of mixing it in.

What are the Benefits of Eating Gluten Free Sourdough?

Sourdough is known and loved for its health benefits. While sourdough does contain the gut-friendly bacteria lactobacillus, these probiotics are killed off in baking so it doesn't translate to probiotic absorption. However, sourdough is still a fermented food, meaning the bacteria and wild yeast living within the starter predigest the starches in the flour, making the food easier to digest for you as well as potentially keep your blood sugar more stable. For these reasons, it is believed that sourdough can improve or help ease the gut.

For those living with Celiac Disease (like myself), we tend to ingest a lot of rice in many different ways and forms. Sourdough can give you the opportunity to ingest more different types of grains, including sorghum, millet, or buckwheat.

Ingredients for Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers:

Gluten free sourdough discard, preferably from a superfine brown rice flour, sorghum flour, or millet flour starter
High quality gluten free all purpose flour blend containing xanthan gum. I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 (the blue bag). You can also experiment around with using almond flour and corn flour for this recipe. Depending on the flours you use, the crackers may become stale faster.
Unsalted butter. If using salted, omit the additional salt in the recipe but still sprinkle coarse salt on top of the crackers.
Seeds of choice, a mixture of two is ideal. I used what I had on hand; black chia seeds and sesame seeds. You can also use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, etc. The varying textures contribute to the bite of the cracker. Chia is crispy, while sunflower is chewy.
Dried herbs of choice, one or two herbs is ideal. I used dried rosemary in the pictured crackers.
Mix-in's of choice, one mix-in is ideal. This could be anything like craisins, finely chopped sun dried tomatoes, or varying cheeses. I used Parmesan cheese in the pictured crackers.
Milk. For dairy-free; use a neutral plant based milk such as almond milk.
Salt
Olive oil for brushing overtop the crackers + (optional) coarse salt

Read the section below for ideas on flavor combinations.

Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers Flavor Combinations

There really are endless combinations you could make with these crackers. Try mixing up each of the three categories.

Seeds

pumpkin seeds
sunflower seeds
chia seeds
sesame seeds
hemp seeds
poppy seeds
flaxseed

Herbs

thyme
rosemary
basil
onion powder
garlic powder
minced dehydrated onion
minced dehydrated garlic
oregano
black pepper
white pepper
tarragon
paprika, mainly for color

Mix-in's (optional - if not using, you can increase the amount of seeds)

everything bagel seasoning (this kind of takes the place of both seeds and herbs all in one)
Parmesan cheese
cheddar cheese/white cheddar cheese
finely-chopped sun dried tomatoes
craisins
pumpkin - I have not personally tested this to determine final outcome of the texture. You would likely need to reduce the milk in the recipe.

Some drier mix-in's can make the dough harder to come together (Parmesan, etc.) so you may need to add a few tbsp. of milk to form it into a ball.

You can also experiment with using fancy infused olive oils to brush on top of the crackers.

Classic Combinations:

Garlic & herb (any small seeds, garlic powder or minced dehydrated garlic, basil, rosemary, oregano, white pepper)
Everything bagel (simply just everything bagel seasoning + additional seeds of choice)
Sun dried tomato & basil (any small seeds, finely-chopped sun dried tomatoes, basil, oregano, garlic powder)
Mediterranean herb (sunflower seeds, any small seeds, basil, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder)
Farmhouse cheddar (cheddar cheese or white cheddar, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika)
Pumpkin seeds and craisins (no herbs)

How to Make Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers:

In a large mixing bowl, add the gluten free flour, seeds of choice, herbs of choice, and salt. Stir until well combined.

Add in the sourdough discard, melted butter, and milk. Stir until it forms a dough. Using the palms of your hands, shape into a ball. You may need to add an additional 1-3 tablespoon more milk depending on what mix-in's you added. If you doubled the recipe, be sure to form into two balls.

Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and place on parchment paper. Cover the dough ball with another sheet of parchment paper (like a sandwich - this helps prevent any sticking). Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ⅛th of an inch or smaller. Basically, the thinner the cracker the more crispy/crunchy. They also tend to stay fresher for longer when thin. You can also make thicker crackers, but they go stale a lot faster so you will want to eat them within 1-2 days.

Once the crackers are rolled thin and evenly enough, carefully peel off the top layer of parchment paper. If the edges are messy, you can work the dough with your hands to flatten it or press it into a neater shape. Then, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the crackers into even rows of squares. Important: Do not move the crackers after cutting, leave them in place.

Carefully transfer the bottom piece of parchment paper with the crackers still on top of it to a large cookie sheet. Brush the tops of the crackers with olive oil and sprinkle with a good helping of coarse salt.

Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. It's okay if there's uneven browning - mine typically brown around the edges more than the center but they all turn out delicious.

Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. For best results, serve immediately and eat within 1-2 days.

Equipment

To make Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers, you will need:

A French rolling pin. I prefer to use a French rolling pin when working with gluten free dough. This is because they have a tapered end and no handle, which means there's nothing the dough can get stuck onto it or impressed by.
A pizza cutter or sharp knife
A large baking sheet or two half sheets. It's also extremely helpful if you have parchment paper.
Don't want to make a starter from scratch? This Sourdough Starter Culture packet gives you a head start with a dehydrated gluten-free sourdough starter culture and directions to follow to maintain it for years to come. I love this website because there's also cheesemaking, yogurt, kombucha, and fermented vegetable kits. (Use the code WONDERS15X on Cultures For Health's website to get 15% off! The GF starter is also available for purchase on Amazon here.

The above pictured cracker is from my first batch. I made these more rustic, not taking as much time to cut the crackers into perfect rectangles. I actually like how these turned out better, so here's your go ahead to not care about cutting the most perfect rectangles or squares in the world.

How to Store Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers

These crackers are best fresh. I recommend eating them within 1 to 2 days while they're still crispy, otherwise without preservatives they tend to go stale. Once completely cool, store these crackers in an airtight container at room temperature.

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Gluten Free Sourdough Discard Crackers | Best Gluten Free Cracker Recipe

5 from 2 votes

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Prep Time: 30

Cook Time: 25

Chilling Time: 45

Total Time: 1 40

Yield: crackers

One of my favorite ways to use up extra discard in the fridge. You can really make infinite flavor combinations with these and get really creative, or just use what you have on hand. Pictured are rosemary parmesan seed crackers.

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Equipment

Ingredients

1 cup gluten free sourdough discard (unfed starter) preferably from a brown rice, sorghum, or millet flour starter
1 cup high quality gluten free all purpose flour blend containing xanthan gum I used Bob's Red Mill GF 1:1 (the blue bag).
4 tablespoon unsalted butter omit salt if using salted butter, but still add the coarse salt to the crackers
½ teaspoon salt
1 to 2 tablespoon dried herbs of choice I used 1 tbsp. rosemary in the pictured crackers
⅓ cup any combination of seeds I used half sesame, half black chia in the pictured crackers
¼ cup additional mix-in's such as cheeses, craisins, chopped sun dried tomatoes, etc. I used parmesan cheese in the pictured crackers
2 tablespoon milk (+ an additional 1 to 2 tbsp. if needed, just enough to get the dough to roll into a ball) For dairy-free, use a neutral plant based milk such as almond
3 tablespoon olive oil for brushing the top of the crackers
coarse salt for the top of the crackers

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, add the gluten free flour, seeds of choice, herbs of choice, and salt. Stir until well combined.
Add in the sourdough discard, melted butter, and milk. Stir until it forms a dough. Using the palms of your hands, shape into a ball. You may need to add an additional 1-3 tbsp. more milk depending on what mix-in's you added. If you doubled the recipe, be sure to form into two balls. Wrap the dough ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Remove the dough ball from the refrigerator and place on parchment paper. Cover the dough ball with another sheet of parchment paper (like a sandwich - this helps prevent any sticking). Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough to about ⅛th of an inch or smaller. Basically, the thinner the cracker the more crispy/crunchy. They also tend to stay fresher for longer when thin. You can also make thicker crackers, but they go stale a lot faster so you will want to eat them within 1-2 days.
Once the crackers are rolled thin and evenly enough, carefully peel off the top layer of parchment paper. If the edges are messy, you can work the dough with your hands to flatten it or press it into a neater shape. Then, use a pizza cutter or sharp knife to cut the crackers into even rows of squares. Important: Do not move the crackers after cutting, leave them in place.
Carefully transfer the bottom piece of parchment paper with the crackers still on top of it to a large cookie sheet. Brush the tops of the crackers with olive oil and sprinkle with a good helping of coarse salt.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
Allow to cool completely before storing in an airtight container. For best results, serve immediately and eat within 1-2 days.

Notes

Storage: These crackers are best fresh. I recommend eating them within 1 to 2 days while they're still crispy, otherwise without preservatives they tend to go stale. Once completely cool, store these crackers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Mix and Match:

Seeds:

pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, poppy seeds, flaxseed

Herbs:

tarragon, paprika (mainly for color), white pepper, black pepper, oregano, minced dehydrated garlic, minced dehydrated onion, garlic powder, onion powder, basil, rosemary, thyme

Mix-in's (optional - add in more seeds if skipping):

- everything bagel seasoning (this kind of takes the place of both seeds and herbs all in one), parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese/white cheddar cheese, finely-chopped sun dried tomatoes, craisins, pumpkin (I have not personally tested this to determine final outcome of the texture. You would likely need to reduce the milk in the recipe.)