One thing about having a sourdough starter – you always end up with extra starter that you either have to just throw away, or find other recipes to use it in. Luckily, there are a number of good recipe books, magazines and websites out there now with great ideas on how to use one’s sourdough discard, and this is one of them.

This recipe is courtesy of Bake from Scratch magazine, the July/August 2023 edition. It started out as a cracker with rye/bread flour and caraway/fennel seeds; I adapted slightly to go with what I had – wheat/bread flour, caraway seed, and a sweet curry spice.

This recipe makes about 40 crackers, but you can easily double it; the original recipe in the magazine is for double the number.

I’m not sure why we don’t bake more of our crackers, as a rule, instead of just buying them – these are so easy to make! Probably the trickiest thing for me was getting them rolled out so they were evenly thick.

Here’s what the batter looks like when it comes together, and after rolled out and sliced (but not separated) prior to baking.

And then docked and salted just before baking, and following the bake. These are a lovely golden brown, more golden due to the curry than a version of this cracker without the spice.

So why crackers on an afternoon tea blog? Well, firstly, I just love this flavor combo – my point of view is you can adapt just about any food to being appropriate for afternoon tea!

Second, I thought these small crackers would go great with a dab of a nice pate, like a little amuse buche to start out one’s tea party.

I didn’t make the pate – I haven’t gotten that brave yet! Instead, found a delicious chicken truffle pate at Trader Joe’s that was reasonable and went great with these crackers. They’ve both got strong flavors, but for me it worked. You could always put a dab of cheese, or some other savoury topping, whatever you prefer.

Curry Caraway Crackers

  • Servings: ~40 crackers
  • Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

  • 1/2 c. (113 g.) sourdough starter discard
  • 1/4 c. (25 g.) wheat flour (or rye)
  • 1/4 c. (32 g.) bread flour
  • 1/8 c. (23 g.) neutral oil
  • 2 tsp. caraway seeds
  • 1 + 1/2 tsp. sweet curry
  • 1/4 tsp. (1.15 g.) kosher salt
  • All-purpose flour, for dusting
  • Flaked sea salt, for sprinkling

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together the sourdough starter discard, flours, oil, seeds, curry and kosher salt until well combined, and a slightly tacky dough forms. Lightly dust work surface with the all-purpose flour and turn the dough out onto the surface. Shape it into a disk and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350° Fahrenheit. Divide the dough in half; roll out half of the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to 1/16-inch thickness. Transfer the dough, still on the parchment, to a baking sheet.

Using a pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 to 1 and 1/2-inch squares, but do not separate the crackers. Use a fork to dock each piece once in the middle. Sprinkle with sea salt, and repeat the procedure with the rest of the dough.

Bake until crisp and lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking for a more even bake. Let cool completely on pans on wire racks, and then separate the cooled crackers.

To serve with afternoon tea, top with a good pate, cheese or other savoury favorite, and a sprinkle of herbs, cracked pepper or other, as desired. You can double this recipe for twice the crackers.

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