Chives are one of the easiest herbs to grow. Seems like you just plop them in the ground, forget about them, and they come back year after year just the same. In fact, sometimes they are just a little too enthusiastic and spill out into the whole garden. Even so, I love my chives. They are the first herb of the spring and find their way into several recipes; potato salad, green salads, with sour cream or cream cheese as a dip, and into these better-than-store-bought sourdough crackers. Full of whole grains, thicker than traditional crackers, and missing the preservatives and additives found in commercial varieties, these healthy crackers are sure to become a favorite family treat.
Recipe:
- 1 cup sourdough starter (find out how to start yours here)
- 1/2 – 3/4 cup water
- 1 cup Kamut® flour
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup corn flour (not corn meal)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (I used chives and dill)
- 1/2 Tbsp sugar
- 1/2 Tbsp salt
- Salt for sprinkling
- Olive oil
In a large bowl or the bowl to a stand mixer, combine starter, water, flours, sugar, herbs and salt. Stir to combine and knead until dough is smooth. Place in a greased bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place about 2 hours. Deflate the dough and let rest 10 minutes or so.
Grease a half-sheet pan (13 x 18 inch baking sheet). Roll dough out in pan, filling the sheet pan as seen in the above photo. Brush the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Score into large pieces with a knife if so desired.
Bake in a pre-heated 450 degree oven for 15 – 20 minutes, or until well browned. Remove from oven and let cool. Don’t worry if it doesn’t seem crisp when you take it out of the oven, it will become crisp as it cools.
Optional Baking Instructions: For a thin, more traditional cracker, divide the dough into two pieces. Roll each out in a half-sheet pan. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until well browned.
Sourdough crackerbread also keeps well and will stay fresh for at least a week. The flavor improves as the week progresses!
Note: Any flour combination will work, just be sure at least 50% of the flours contains gluten (like all wheat flours) so the crackers will hold together.
Warning: Making your own homemade crackerbread can be addictive! If you like this recipe head over to my other blog to find more crackerbread recipes.
Whole Grain Seeded Crackerbread
Whole Wheat Spelt Crackerbread
I had 2 cups of starter to “discard” so I made 2 batches of the crackers tonight. They are in the oven now and they smell absolutely heavenly. I made one chive, thyme, and parsley cracker pan, and the other batch is rosemary and cracked pepper. I cannot wait to try them! Thanks for the recipe.
Thank you Shannon. They sound wonderful. You have reminded me… I need to make some myself!
Does this use fed or unfed starter?
Abby, I have made it with both. It depends on what kind I have hanging around that day! It works equally well with fed or unfed.
I tried this recipe last night with a mix of white flour, spelt and whole wheat. The flavor was lovely, but it definitely turned out more like flatbread than crackers. I never really got it smooth when kneading, and I had to add a bit more moisture than I expected just to get it to mix (probably a difference in flour types). I felt like it should have been rolled thinner, but I used the size pan you recommended. The top was nicely brown, but the bottom was soft and it never crisped up overnight. I know this is an old post, but if you have any words of wisdom to get it closer to a cracker, I would love to hear it!
Heather, I am so sorry that the recipe didn’t turn out as expected – but glad it tasted good anyway! You are correct, the additional liquid could be due to the flour choices. You may also have needed to add more liquid if your starter was fairly stiff. I tend to keep a pretty loose starter. Next time try dividing the dough into two pieces and roll each out on a half-sheet pan. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes instead of 15 – 20. That should give you a nice crisp cracker. Thank you for bringing this potential problem to my attention. I am going to update the post right now. Take care.
I’m definitely gonna try this at home.