Sourdough Discard Goldfish Crackers -homemade, egg free, nut free

This homemade sourdough cheese cracker recipe is simply the best! Use a Fish shaped cutter or cut out anyway you like; sourdough discard goldfish crackers taste amazing no matter what the shape!

We are a goldfish loving house—the cracker, not the animal. I have nothing against live-goldfish, but the goldfish crackers are just addictive that when you mention them I immediately think food.

Goldfish crackers have always been much more appealing to me than cheez-its or what’s-its, since they have a more delicate flavor. They are always in a special bite size piece and if you get a good bag, they are generously salted. Mmm I love salt.

So when it came time to deciding on another recipe to make for the blog, it seemed like a natural progression to mix my love of sourdough recipes and goldfish crackers.

Which brings me to (drum roll, please) *ddrrrrrrrrrrrrrr* sourdough discard goldfish crackers. A homemade cheese cracker that tastes as good as it looks.

How different do these taste compared to regular goldfish crackers?

I will admit these are not an exact copycat version of goldfish crackers. With some modifications you might get there, but this is an extremely cheese forward, elevated cracker. The sourdough discard used in this recipe really compliments the sharp cheddar cheese and gives it a robust cheesy taste.

The crackers are crisp and seasoned with your everyday staple ingredients: onion powder, garlic powder paprika, and sea salt. This is totally optional but if you have a flaky salt like Maldon sea salt flakes, you can sprinkle them on after baking. I am a self proclaimed salt lover so feel free to leave them off if you do not have any.

Do I need a goldfish cracker cutter?

Yes and no. Do you want them to look like goldfish? Then grab an inexpensive cutter from amazon, and be on your way! Also you are always able to repurpose the cutter into cutting out cheese, or fruits. Don’t think of it as a strictly one dimensional item.

However, if you want to make regular shaped sourdough cheese crackers then hey, go for it. You could use a bench scraper, a pastry cutter, a tiny biscuit cutter, a pizza cutter… So many options to get the desired shape and size of your crackers.

Using sourdough discard in recipes

Sourdough discard is the unfed portion of your sourdough baby. You can pull it from the fridge after a week and pour it into this recipe, no problem. This recipe does not require any rising time. You do not need to feed your sourdough before making these crackers either. Use what you’ve got (assuming it is fresh and hasn’t gone bad, don’t be like that!)

The perks of making this recipe:

• Only uses one bowl
• Uses your sourdough discard so it limits waste
• No food processor needed – use your stand mixer
• healthier than brand name goldfish crackers
• more elevated flavor than a kids cracker but still kid friendly

Storage of crackers

These sourdough discard goldfish crackers are best enjoyed the first day making them. I recommend making them in the morning so you and your family can snack on them all day long. You can also store them in a zip top bag or some kind of airtight container. Don’t hate me, but they are not *as* crispy the next day. I am trying to find a great way to maintain that crisp but it seems like only preservatives will maintain that kind of freshness.

Another Sourdough cracker option!

You might also enjoy these sourdough skillet crackers, perfect for charcuterie boards or dipping!

How to make the best sourdough discard goldfish crackers at home

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. Finely grate the cheese (using the small side of the grater.) Please don’t use pre-shredded cheese. There are additives in shredded cheese that might mess up the recipe.

Make the dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, combine the finely shredded cheddar cheese, flour, and seasonings (garlic powder, onion powder, paprika and sea salt.) Mix on medium speed until a crumbly mixture forms.

Next add in the sourdough discard, cubed butter and mix again until dough is holding its shape and a uniform texture. The dough will not be sticky, and it will be very workable/easy to roll out.

Roll out dough and cut out shapes

Roll into a ball and flatten into a thin even layer with a rolling pin. The thinner it is, the crisper the cracker will be. Of course, too thin and you won’t be able to get it off the counter without ripping it. Find your happy medium!

Cut out desired shapes and place on prepared pan with space in between. I used my bench scraper to lift the fishes that were stuck to the counter. Poke a hole in each cracker, for example an eye on the fish or in the center of a square cracker. I use my food thermometer to do this but you can use what you have on hand. 

Pro tip! If they are sticking to the counter, pull up the dough surrounding the fish crackers and use a bench scraper to scoop them up and place them on the baking sheet.

Bake!

Bake 15-20 minutes until golden and crispy. They will puff up a bit while baking.

Cool on pan and eat once cooled!

These are best enjoyed the first day, but still tasty in sealed properly in a zip top bag or air tight container.

Things that helped in the kitchen for this recipe, and can help you too:

Fish/Goldfish cracker cutter – creates perfectly shaped little fishy crackers!

17.25 X 12.25 inch USA half sheet Pan which can be found on amazon 

Bench scraper-get the stainless steel variety with the looped handle so you can toss it in the dishwasher and not have to worry about water getting trapped and rusting. It’s also helpful if it has a ruler built in! (amazon)

Food thermometer (amazon) to check the temperature of basically everything and anything. One of my most used and underrated kitchen tools.

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