Flaxseed Sourdough Crackers

By
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo
Jennifer Perillo is an experienced recipe developer, cookbook author, and blogger behind In Jennie's Kitchen.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 12/10/21
Tested by
Danilo Alfaro
Danlio Alfaro
Tested by Danilo Alfaro
Danilo Alfaro has published more than 800 recipes and tutorials focused on making complicated culinary techniques approachable to home cooks.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Flaxseed Sourdough Crackers

The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 15 mins
Total: 25 mins
Servings: 4 to 5 servings
Yield: 40 crackers
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
308 Calories
13g Fat
41g Carbs
8g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 5
Amount per serving
Calories 308
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 13g 17%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 9mg 3%
Sodium 140mg 6%
Total Carbohydrate 41g 15%
Dietary Fiber 6g 20%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 8g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 72mg 6%
Iron 3mg 17%
Potassium 187mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

Few things teach patience the way the simple combination of water and flour does when working with sourdough starter, as baking with it requires time. However, these seed crackers made using discard before feeding your starter, however, are one example where sourdough starter offers instant gratification—or at least as close as you can get since they do require mixing up a few ingredients and turning on the oven. The result is a cracker perfect to pair with cheese plates, tuck into lunch boxes, and enjoy as a snack on its own.

It’s important to follow the basic starter, flour, and oil amounts in this recipe, but from there, feel free to put your own unique twist on these sourdough seed crackers. Add some flair with smoked paprika, chile pepper, cumin, and coriander. Freshly grated orange zest is a wonderful addition, too.

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Click Play to See These Flaxseed Sourdough Crackers Come Together

"Though this recipe uses sourdough starter, plus wheat pastry flour, the main ingredient is flaxseed meal, which has a distinctive flavor. If you're into that, you'll love these crackers. As for the dough itself, the proportions are right, the dough held together nicely, and I had no trouble rolling it out. Tasty crackers!" —Danilo Alfaro

Flaxseed Sourdough Crackers Tester Image
A Note From Our Recipe Tester

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup (60 grams) unfed sourdough starter discard

  • 3 tablespoons (25 grams) whole wheat pastry flour, plus more for rolling out the dough)

  • 1/2 cup (56 grams) flaxseed meal

  • 4 teaspoons (20 milligrams) olive oil

  • 1/2 teaspoon (2 grams) sea salt

  • 1 tablespoon (11 grams) sesame seeds, or poppy, sunflower, fennel, nigella, or a mix

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Flaxseed sourdough crackers ingredients

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  2. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a sheet pan with a silicone liner or parchment paper.

    Baking sheet lined with parchment paper

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  3. In a medium bowl, add all of the ingredients.

    Starter, flour, flaxseed meal, oil, salt, and seeds in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  4. Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until well mixed, about 1 minute.

    Combine the flour mixture

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  5. Place the cracker dough in the center of the pan and press it down into a rectangle.

    Cracker dough on a baking sheet lined with a parchment paper

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  6. Dust the top of the dough with more flour.

    Cracker dough with flour on top on a baking sheet

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  7. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a paper-thin rectangle (it’s OK if the shape isn’t perfect). You’re aiming for at least 1/16-inch thickness.

    Rolling cracker dough on a baking sheet lined with parchment

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  8. Use a pizza wheel or the tip of a sharp knife to score the dough into squares (so they break apart easily after they're baked).

    Scoring the cracker dough with a pizza roller

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  9. Bake 15 to 18 minutes until golden and crisp.

    Bake the scored cracker dough on the baking sheet

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  10. Let cool for 15 minutes before breaking apart.

    Baked crackers on parchment paper

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

  11. Serve immediately or store in a tightly sealed jar or tin for up to one week. Enjoy.

    Flaxseed sourdough crackers in a bowl

    The Spruce / Ahlam Raffii

Tips

  • You can also use an active starter (not yeast, but an actual starter that has been fed) to make these crackers.
  • The dough will seem clumpy and hard to mix together at first, but a few vigorous stirs with a wooden spoon, and it will form a somewhat sticky, stretchy dough in about a minute.
  • Don’t worry about forming the dough into a perfect rectangle or stress if it tears slightly in a few places. These crackers are still delicious even with imperfections.
  • It helps to score the dough before baking so the crackers are easier to separate once done. Scoring simply means using a sharp knife, pizza wheel, or pastry wheel to precut them, so they break apart easily once baked and cool. You can cut squares, long strips, diamonds, or any shape you like. You can also skip the scoring and simply break the baked dough into irregular pieces (similar to pita chips).
  • The baking time in this recipe is for a dough that is rolled super thin; if you prefer a thicker cracker, you’ll need to add baking time.