By Nic Midgley
I hate waste, so when I have to discard the excess sourdough starter during the feeding process, instead of putting the leftovers in the bin I save them in a tub in the fridge. If you don’t need baked goods to rise, the excess starter can be used to make a range of yummy things. My sourdough starter is fed with Rye flour, but you could use any type of starter to make these crackers.
The excess starter will keep in the fridge for a week or two before it starts to separate and develop the dark liquid layer. If you want to keep it for longer than this, feed it once a week but continue to keep in the fridge.
Ingredients
150g excess sourdough starter
20g coconut oil, melted but not hot
60-70g Rye flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
Method
In a large mixing bowl combine the sourdough starter with the coconut oil and salt. Add the flour gradually and mix until it forms a soft, pliable dough. I don’t add all of the flour at once because some days it needs a little more flour but some days it needs less. The amount of flour you need will depend on the consistency of your starter. If you add too much flour the dough will be dry and crumbly making it difficult to roll. If your starter is very runny, the mixture will be like a paste, and also difficult to roll.
Once you have formed a pliable dough, place in the bowl and cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling. At this point the dough can also be frozen for use at a later date. If frozen, bring back to room temperature before rolling.
Pre-heat the oven to 150C
Line 2 baking trays with baking paper or reusable baking sheets.
To roll the dough, place between two sheets of baking paper and roll until you have an even thickness of about 2mm. If the dough is too much to manage in one go you can cut it in half and roll into two portions.
To form the crackers cut the dough into squares or rectangles, depending on how you like your crackers. Place them carefully on the lined baking tray and prick with a form to prevent them from puffing up too much.
Bake in the pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes until golden and crisp. The cooking time will depend on the thickness that you rolled the dough to. Start checking after 20 minutes so they don’t burn.
Once cooked, cool completely and store in an air tight container. The crackers keep really well for at least a week in an airtight container, at room temperature – that’s unless you eat them all first!
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