Sourdough Animal Crackers with Freshly Milled Flour

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Sourdough Animal Crackers with Freshly Milled Flour

These sourdough animal crackers are lightly sweet, crisp, and made with freshly milled flour for added depth and texture. The dough comes together quickly with sourdough discard or active starter.

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Chill TIme1

Total Time1 25

Course: Freshly Milled Flour, Snack, Sourdough

Cuisine: American

Servings: crackers

Calories: 85kcal

Author: Emily Rider

Equipment

1 Mixing bowls
1 Rolling Pin
1 Baking sheet
Cookie Cutters
1 Parchment Paper

Ingredients

½ cup sourdough starter or discard 120–130 grams
½ cup butter softened 113 grams
¼ cup granulated sugar 57 grams
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 grams
½ teaspoon almond extract 2 grams
½ teaspoon lemon extract 2 grams
1 cup all-purpose flour 20 grams
½ cup whole wheat flour 60 grams
½ cup oat flour 60 grams
¼ teaspoon sea salt 1.5 grams

Instructions

Cream the butter and sugar – In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until light and noticeably increased in volume. Proper creaming creates air pockets that help the crackers bake evenly rather than turning dense.
Add the extracts and sourdough – Mix in the vanilla, almond, and lemon extracts, then stir in the sourdough discard or active starter until smooth. The mixture should look cohesive and fully blended before the flour goes in.
Combine the dry ingredients – In a separate bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, whole wheat flour, oat flour, and salt until evenly distributed throughout.
Mix the dough – Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until a firm dough forms. Stop mixing as soon as everything comes together to prevent the crackers from becoming tough.
Chill the dough – Divide the dough into two disks, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour. Chilling firms the butter, makes the dough easier to roll, and helps the crackers hold their shape during baking.
Preheat the oven – Preheat the oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Roll and cut – Roll one disk just over ¼ inch thick on a lightly floured surface and cut into animal shapes using small cookie cutters. Gather and reroll scraps as needed, keeping the dough cool between batches.
Bake – Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the edges are lightly golden and the centers look set. Pull the pan before the crackers look fully done as they continue to firm up as they cool.
Cool completely – Let the crackers cool briefly on the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully before storing so they finish crisping and any excess moisture can escape.

Video

Notes

Chill the dough well – Cold dough rolls cleaner, holds its shape better in the oven, and keeps the edges defined after cutting. If the dough softens while cutting, return it to the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes before continuing.

Roll just over ¼ inch thick – This thickness keeps the crackers crisp without turning hard or dry after cooling. Consistent thickness also helps control baking time across the whole batch.

Pull them before they look done – The crackers continue to firm up as they cool, so removing them when lightly golden keeps them crisp without becoming hard or dry after cooling.

Store in an airtight container – Once fully cooled after about 5 minutes on the pan, store at room temperature for up to 1 week. If they soften, warm in a 300°F oven for 4 to 5 minutes to restore their crispness.

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