On 2006-01-22, Nightingale wrote:
Randall Nortman wrote:

I didn't mean to keep growing it by 4x. I meant to throw out all but
a tiny amount, and then increase that by 4x, then throw most of it out
again the next day. (Or bake with it -- crackers are quick and easy.)


Hi!

This caught my eye, as I would like to try making sourdough crackers.
When I tried Googling it, I couldn't find anything useful. Could you
possible post your cracker recipe/method?

I'm afraid I don't follow much of a recipe generally. Crackers are
pretty straightforward -- take whatever starter you have and add
flour, water, and salt to get to a decent quantity (usually 3x - 4x
the amount of starter) of stiffish dough (but not dry), and knead
fairly well. Sometimes I add oil and/or a little honey or barley malt
syrup (non-diastatic). If you want a rich cracker, add solid fat
(butter or shortening) -- if you add a lot you will end up with
something like sourdough shortbread. The bulk fermentation is
optional, but I usually give it an hour or so, depending on how much
starter was used and how sour I want it. Roll it out paper thin on
parchment (or a silicone baking mat) and let it proof again briefly
(30-60min) if you want a lighter texture, again depending on starter
percentage and activity. Brush with water or oil and sprinkle with
seasonings -- coarse salt, pepper (black or cayenne), herbs, spices,
garlic, seasame/poppy seeds, whatever -- or nothing at all. Cut it
into strips or squares before baking if you want clean cuts, otherwise
you can break them irregularly after baking. Bake at 375F or so on a
sheet pan until the crackers are dry and crisp, which will probably
take in the neighborhood of 15 minutes. (Or take them out while still
a little flexible, if you prefer that, but they won't keep as long.)
If you don't roll the dough thinly enough, you may end up with pita
bread instead, which is not a disaster. Cool just long enough to keep
from burning yourself before you have a sample -- fresh crackers can
be wonderful while still warm.

The starter you use for this purpose can be a little over the hill,
since you don't need much leavening power. However, you don't want to
use starter that smells bad or has a lot of hooch, as that will just
end up tasting awful.

If you manage to refine the process to something which repeatably
gives excellent results, by all means enlighten me. I usually just
throw stuff together and hope for the best, which usually works out
alright.

--
Randall