If you make sourdough then you’ll be looking for something to use up the inevitable sourdough discard. Try these snappy, umami rich seeded crackers. Add a 1/4 tsp of baking soda (bicarb) to make something a little more open textured.
Sourdough knäckebröd
Makes 2 trays of crackers
These simple crackers are worth feeding your starter for and the sourer the better in my opinion, so you can use that jar of old discard that has been sitting at the back of the fridge giving you an accusing look every time you’re rootling around for the mustard. The sourer your starter discard, the more of a marmite-ish cheesy note you’ll get in the crackers – the good kind of cheese, not the old socks kind. Try teff in place of some of the buckwheat for a darker rye like flavour and any number of seeds make a delicious counterpoint to the umami crunch of the cracker.
To make these with yeast instead, simply use 3g of dried yeast, an extra 15g of Doves Farm flour, another 30g of buckwheat flour and an extra 55g of milk, water or cream.
100g gluten free sourdough discard
80g buckwheat flour
40g Doves Farm white gf flour (or equal parts rice/potato/tapioca)
30g finely ground linseed (flax) – ideally freshly home ground
50g milk or water or cream
4 tsp olive oil (or melted butter)
2 tsp honey (or 50/50 molasses and honey)
1 tsp sea salt
4 heaped tsp sesame seeds
2 tsp caraway seeds
Preheat the oven to 150°C fan/300ºF
Mix everything together to form a sticky dough and set aside at room temperature for a few hours to prove or stick in the fridge for 24 hours.
To roll out the crackers, split the dough in two and roll out each piece on a well dusted work surface. Use a bench scraper to make sure that nothing sticks underneath and re-dust if it starts to get sticky. Roll out to as thinly as you can – thinner crackers are more snappy and if they are too thick, you’ll struggle to crunch through them once baked. Sprinkle with more seeds and a little salt if you like and roll over with the pin to press them into the surface. Prick all over with a fork, as much as you can without shredding the dough – this pricking helps with the texture of the crackers. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into cracker shapes or by pressing down with a sharp knife, rather than dragging it across the dough. Or just break into shards once baked. Lay the crackers on a baking tray – lined with a silicone mat if you like. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes until completely crisp, turning over half way through cooking – if there is any flex in the centre when you press, put them back in the oven again. Transfer to a cooling rack after 10 minutes. Store in an airtight box for up to 3 weeks.