Garlic Parmesan Sourdough Cheez-Its (Printable Version)

Crispy, flavorful garlic-Parmesan crackers with sourdough tang for snack boards or casual bites.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Dough

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
03 - 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
04 - 1/3 cup unsalted butter, cold and cubed
05 - 1/2 cup sourdough discard, unfed
06 - 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
07 - 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
08 - 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
09 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Topping

10 - 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese, finely grated
11 - 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
12 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - In a food processor, pulse together flour, cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese, cold butter, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and black pepper until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
02 - Add sourdough discard to the food processor and pulse until the dough just comes together in a cohesive mass.
03 - Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead gently until the texture becomes smooth and uniform.
04 - Shape dough into a rectangle, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes to develop texture and improve workability.
05 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
06 - Roll dough to 1/8 inch thickness and cut into 1-inch squares using a pastry wheel or sharp knife.
07 - Transfer cracker squares to prepared baking sheets with slight spacing between each piece. Pierce the center of each square with a skewer or toothpick.
08 - Combine Parmesan cheese and garlic powder for topping. Lightly brush each cracker with water and sprinkle with the topping mixture and flaky sea salt.
09 - Bake for 16 to 18 minutes, rotating baking sheets halfway through cooking, until crackers are golden brown and crispy throughout.
10 - Allow crackers to cool completely on wire racks before serving to ensure optimal crispness.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste impossibly buttery and complex, like you've been perfecting them for years, but actually require just basic kitchen tools and about an hour start to finish.
  • Sourdough discard finally has a worthy home where its tangy personality makes the crackers taste infinitely better than any store-bought version.
  • One batch yields enough to build a showstopping snack board or simply keep stashed for late-night snacking without guilt.
02 -
  • If your sourdough discard is very thick and stiff, thin it slightly with a teaspoon of water so it incorporates smoothly without making the dough gluey.
  • Rolling to exactly 1/8 inch makes the difference between crackers that shatter satisfyingly and ones that bend, so use a ruler or thickness guide if you have one.
03 -
  • If your kitchen is warm, chill your mixing bowl and even your food processor blade before starting so the butter stays cold and creates proper texture.
  • The poke hole looks small now but spreads during baking, so trust that it will become appropriately visible and functional as the crackers rise.
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