The snack your discard has been waiting for. Rolled paper-thin and docked so they bake up flat and shattery, with a baking-soda wash that browns them deep and makes them taste like a soft pretzel's crispy cousin. No leavening, no waiting on a rise — mix, chill, roll, bake.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Sourdough discard | 240 g | Unfed, 100% hydration. Cold from the fridge is fine |
| All-purpose flour | 120 g | |
| Unsalted butter | 56 g | Softened. Or 3 tbsp olive oil |
| Fine sea salt | 5 g | About ¾ tsp |
| Baking soda | 1 g | About ¼ tsp — in the dough, for snap and browning |
| Baking soda (for the wash) | 1 tbsp | Dissolved in the warm water below |
| Warm water (for the wash) | 120 g | About ½ cup |
| Coarse pretzel or flaky salt | — | For the tops |
Method
1Mix the dough (5 min)
Mix the discard, flour, softened butter, fine salt, and ¼ tsp baking soda into a smooth, stiff dough. If it's crumbly, add water a teaspoon at a time; if it's sticky, dust in a little flour.
2Chill (30 min)
Divide the dough in two, flatten each into a disk, wrap, and chill at least 30 minutes — up to 2 days. Cold dough rolls thinner without tearing.
3Heat the oven (while chilling)
350°F. Line two sheet pans with parchment.
4Roll thin (5 min)
Roll one disk directly on a piece of parchment, as thin as you can — about 1/16 inch (2 mm). Thin is the whole game: thin bakes crisp, thick bakes hard.
5Wash and salt (2 min)
Stir 1 tbsp baking soda into the ½ cup warm water until dissolved. Brush a thin, even layer over the whole sheet of dough — don't let it puddle. This is what browns them deep and gives the pretzel flavor. Scatter coarse salt over the top and press it in with a light pass of the rolling pin.
6Cut and dock (3 min)
Cut into 1–1½ inch squares with a pizza wheel, leaving them in place. Dock every cracker all over with a fork so they stay flat and crisp instead of puffing.
7Bake (22–28 min)
Slide the parchment onto a sheet pan and bake 22–28 minutes, rotating halfway, until deep golden-brown and firm. The edge crackers brown first — pull any that race ahead.
8Repeat with the second disk
Roll, wash, salt, cut, and dock the second disk the same way (steps 4–6) and bake it too — or roll both while the oven heats and bake the two sheets together, rotating and swapping racks halfway.
9Cool and snap
Cool completely on the pan — they crisp as they cool. Then snap apart along the cuts.
Notes
Stronger pretzel flavor. Use baked baking soda in the wash: spread 1 cup on a foil-lined pan and bake at 250°F for 1 hour, then cool. It's more alkaline — closer to a true lye pretzel. Handle it with gloves.
Make them yours. Scatter everything-bagel seasoning, caraway, cracked black pepper, or grated Parmesan over the wash before baking.
If they're pale or bendy, roll thinner next time and bake a few minutes longer — done crackers have no give.
Storage. Airtight up to 2 weeks. If they ever soften, re-crisp 5 minutes at 300°F.
