Seriously Good Puffed Sourdough Discard Crackers with Gruyere and Thyme

Cold butter and chilled dough are the secret to these easy, one-bowl homemade sourdough discard crackers. So thin and crispy! Recipe adapted from my book: Artisan Sourdough Made Simple.

📝 Ingredients

• 1 cup (120-125 g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
• 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 cup (appx. 60 g) sourdough discard
• 4 tbsp. (56 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes
• 8 oz. (227 g) Gruyere or cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 tbsp. (20 g) grated Parmesan cheese
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked, plus extra to serve
• 1 to 4 tbsp. (45 to 60 g) cold water, plus more as needed
• You will need a mini cookie cutter to cut the dough into shapes. I use this set (1 1/2-inch round).
• Swap 1 small sprig of fresh rosemary for thyme

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Add all of the ingredients to the bowl of a food processor, with only 1 tablespoon of water. Pulse until tiny crumbs form. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to bring the dough together if needed. Flatten the dough into a disc, cover with plastic wrap (or a reusable wrap of your choice), and chill for 30 minutes and up to 2 days. Note: you can make the dough by hand too, with a pastry cutter if you have one.
2. 2Preheat your oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. 3Divide the dough in half. With a rolling pin, roll the dough out as thin as possible, about 1/8-inch thick. Do this on parchment paper to prevent sticking.
4. 4Cut the dough using a 1 1/2-inch mini cookie cutter. Alternatively, use a sharp knife. Place onto the lined baking sheet spaced one finger-width apart. Dock the center with a toothpick or the tip of a skinny toothbrush, or leave undocked if you prefer. Chill for 5-10 minutes before baking. Gather the scarps, re-roll and shape again.
5. 5Bake the sourdough crackers on the center rack until puffed and light golden brown, about 15-18 minutes or more, depending on thickness. Cool directly on the sheet pan; they will continue to crisp as they cool. If the crackers are slightly soft in the center due to the thickness of the dough, return to a low oven set to 250 F and bake until crisp.
6. 6Sprinkle with extra thyme leaves to serve.
7. 7Once completely cool, store the crackers in an air-tight container for up to 3 days.