I don’t know about the rest of you, but February was a LONG, hard month! Between the flu, a case of strep throat, food poisoning, constipation (sorry for the TMI), and just random days of not feeling well and bad weather, our family was happy to see February go! I’m ashamed to say, with the many health and weather distractions, I fell way behind on making our homemade snacks! However, it is a new month and I have jumped back on the train! Choo Choo!
One of Eva’s favorite snacks is graham crackers. Yum! So while it’s super convenient and fairly inexpensive just to grab a box off the shelf at the grocery store, I thought to myself, there is no reason I can’t make her a healthier and cheaper version at home! Have you looked at the ingredients? So, what better to use than my sourdough discard! I had actually saved this recipe from good old Pinterest months ago but had forgotten about it. So I pulled it up, realized I had all the simple ingredients already on hand and went to work.
After her bout of constipation (sorry again), I have been looking for ways to add fiber to her diet and luckily this recipe uses mostly whole wheat flour, which I was so excited about. And while it does have some refined sugar in it, it also has honey which is great for digestion too! I used our homemade butter which was absolutely delicious and gave them a wonderful taste and texture.
P.S. If you haven’t made your own butter yet, check out our How To Guide here on our website!
This recipe was easy and straight forward and took very little time to make. The only down side? Eva ate them all in a matter of 24 hours! Luckily, she was happy to help me make more!
I encourage everyone to take a look at the things you have been eating and feeding your
children. Trust me, I fed my older two children ALL the junk before I knew better. Even Eva, as a baby and toddler could be seen eating Fruit Loops and Goldfish but the more I learn about what is being put in our food, the more Mom Guilt I feel. I am hoping by making slow and steady changes, we will all be healthier and in turn feel better.
Are homemade snacks more time consuming than picking up a box off a shelf? Maybe but isn’t your child’s health worth the extra time spent? And bonus, you can include your child in making them! Quality time, making quality food, and quality memories! Okay, time to get off my soapbox and give you the recipe! I hope you all will try it and enjoy it! Also, if you don’t happen to have sourdough starter….well get some…but also I am sure there are TONS of recipes out there that are great and still just as healthy!
One last side note, if they aren’t perfect squares or rectangles or they are soft, not
crunchy…they are still DELICIOUS! Enjoy!
Sourdough Discard Graham Crackers (makes ~24 crackers)
Prep Time: 45 minutes (includes chilling time)
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Ingredients
1 cup (120 grams) whole wheat flour
½ cup (60 grams) all-purpose flour
½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup (113 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
½ cup (100 grams) sourdough starter discard
1 tablespoon (21 grams) honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour,
granulated sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
2. Add cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using your fingertips, gently
pinch the butter into the flour mixture until it sticks together when squeezed
with no large butter pieces remaining. It should resemble damp, coarse sand.
3. Knead in the sourdough discard, honey, and vanilla extract just until a
cohesive dough forms.
4. Divide the dough into two equal pieces and shape each into a 1-inch thick
square. Wrap them individually in plastic or beeswax wrap and chill in the
refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
5. About 10 minutes before the chilling time is up, preheat the oven to 350℉.
6. Working with one piece of dough at a time, lightly dust it with flour and roll it
out onto a piece of parchment paper until it’s about ⅛-inch thick. Aim for a
square or rectangle shape.
7. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, trim the edges of the rolled-out dough to
make them even. Then, cut the dough into your desired shapes (squares or
rectangles work well) and dock them with a fork. Leave the crackers
connected; do not separate them.
8. Transfer the parchment paper with the cut crackers onto a baking sheet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just starting to brown. Keep a
close eye on them, as they can burn quickly.
9. Allow the graham crackers to cool on the baking sheet before transferring
them to a wire rack to cool completely. They will continue to crisp up as they
cool. Enjoy them as a simple snack, with s’mores, or turn them into a graham
cracker crust!
Also, please stop by our facebook page and give us a “like” there. We post some additional content there, and we’re always happy to respond and answer any questions you may have! You can also find me on GAB, https://gab.com/jungerer!
RJ Homestead 
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