Thea Constantarids

 

For all you sourdough bakers out there, or wannabe sourdough bakers, these two recipes are a great way of using up sourdough starter that you would otherwise discard in the ‘feeding’ process that keeps your sourdough culture happy and full of life.

Like all recipes, these crackers taste best if you use fresh ingredients. If you have old seeds/flours/oils etc in your cupboard now is the time to ‘spring clean’ your pantry, throw old or rancid food into your compost. If you don’t have a compost, ask your neighbour if you can use theirs. Then go to your local bulk foods store with your jars and reusable bags and buy fresh ingredients. Shopping at a bulk foods stores means you can buy as little or as much as you need and it also helps reduce plastic waste packaging in your life and in our community landfill.

The following two recipes are both adaptations of great recipes I have found on the internet, and if you’re keen there’s heaps more out there. Just google ‘what to do with excess sourdough starter’ or something like that.

Note—the mix is made the day before, left to rest overnight at room temperature and baked the following day.

1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup linseeds, also known as flax seeds
⅓ cup pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas
½ cup white or black sesame seeds or a mix of bo
1.5 cups rolled oats
2 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
1.5 teaspoons fine sea salt
3 tablespoons oil (melted coconut oil, or avocado oil, or extra virgin olive oil, or ghee, or any oil you like the flavour of)
¼ cup sourdough starter, measured after stirring and at room temperature
1.5 cups water

In a medium bowl, stir all ingredients together until evenly distributed and the water is absorbed and dough is thick, about 5 minutes.
Divide the dough in half.
Place half of the dough on a sheet of baking paper and shape it into a rectangle. Place another sheet of baking paper over the top and, using a rolling pin, roll out into a large rectangle about the size of your baking sheet, and very thin. Carefully peel off the top layer of baking paper and score your crackers into desirable sizes and shapes. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Let rest at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180°C with the oven racks in the upper and lower middle positions. Place baking sheets in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Pull them out of the oven and carefully flip the crackers over and peel off the baking paper. Bake the upside-down crackers, rotating the pans and switching top and bottom positions, for another 20-25 minutes until lightly browned and crisp all the way through.
Let cool completely on a wire rack and break along the scored lines. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.
(Recipe adapted from www.scratch-eats.com)