Sourdough Cheez Its Recipe

By McKenna Pulda

Yield: crackers

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 15

Chill Time: 30

Total Time: 55

Sourdough Cheez Its are crunchy, cheesy crackers made with sharp cheddar, sourdough starter, and simple seasonings.

5 from 9 votes

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Equipment

Ingredients

226 grams cheddar cheese, freshly shredded 8 ounces
100 grams sourdough discard 1/3 cup
42 grams unsalted butter, cold + cubed 3 Tablespoons
140 grams all-purpose flour 1 cup
1 gram garlic powder 1/4 teaspoon
1 gram onion powder 1/4 teaspoon
3 grams salt 1/2 teaspoon
flaky salt if desired

Instructions

To a bowl of a food processor, add all the ingredients except the flaky salt. Mix until a wet sand texture is formed. When you press a piece of the cracker dough together, it should stick to itself. It shouldn’t be dry.
226 grams cheddar cheese, freshly shredded, 100 grams sourdough discard, 42 grams unsalted butter, cold + cubed, 140 grams all-purpose flour, 1 gram garlic powder, 1 gram onion powder, 3 grams salt
Remove the dough from the food processor onto a clean work surface. Shape the dough into a flat disc, cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge. You can also store the dough in the fridge for up to 2 days to long-ferment.
If you long-ferment the dough, leave the dough at room-temperature for 15-20 minutes. This will help the dough be easier to roll.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface or a piece of parchment paper, roll the dough into a 9-inch rectangular shape that’s 1/16th of an inch thick. For the most consistent results, it is best to roll the dough as evenly as possible.
Using a pizza cutter or a sharp knife, trim the dough to create an 8-inch square. Slice the dough into eight, 1-inch vertical strips, and then make 8 perpendicular slices, also 1-inch wide. You should be left with 64, 1-inch square-shaped pieces of cracker dough.
Place the shaped cracker dough on the prepared baking sheet with spaces in between. Use a toothpick to dock a hole in the center of each cracker. This prevents the crackers from puffing up. Sprinkle the dough with flaky sea salt and bake the crackers for 18-22 minutes, or until they are golden brown.
flaky salt
While the first batch bakes, continue to re-roll and cut the remaining dough until all of the crackers are cut. You will need to bake in a few batches.
Remove the baked Sourdough Cheez-It crackers from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack before serving. The crackers will become crunchier as they cool. Enjoy!

Notes

Ingredients & Substitutions

- Cheddar Cheese – For an extra cheesy bite, use sharp cheddar cheese. But feel free to add a variety of cheeses to the mix, such as parmesan cheese or asiago. Fresh cheese gives you the best flavor, so I'd skip the pre-shredded cheese if possible.

- Flour– I used all-purpose flour.

- Seasonings – Garlic powder, onion powder, and kosher salt give these crunchy crackers the perfect flavor.

- Butter – Use cold unsalted butter for the crunchiest crackers and reduce the salt by 1g (1/4 teaspoon) if you're using salted butter.

- Sourdough Starter –You can use either an active sourdough starter or sourdough starter discard. Whichever you choose, make sure it's the same amount in grams.

Tips

For the most consistent results, it is best to roll the dough as evenly as possible.
Don't skip the chill time. This allows the dough to be rollable without being sticky. If you decide to long-ferment the dough, you will need to let the dough sit at room-temperature for 15-20 minutes to soften slightly.
This recipe can easily be doubled.
You can also freeze the dough for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge and allow the dough to sit at room-temperature for 15-20 minutes before rolling and baking as normal.

Nutrition

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