Whole Wheat Sourdough Crackers

Waste not, want not!  If you don't discard some of your sourdough starter, you are bound to have WAY more than you need before it's active enough to make bread.  Why throw it away?  There are lots of great foods you can make with your sourdough starter that don't require the leavening necessary for a good loaf of bread.  Since I'm pretty sure I have my starter going now, I decided to make this delicious cracker recipe posted by a guest blogger at Kitchen Stewardship.  I froze half my dough after soaking overnight so that I can make another batch of fresh crackers this weekend! These are DELICIOUS.  Tastier than wheat thins and totally clean and healthy! Oh and if my totally fussy 2 year old is screaming for more, you KNOW they are good!

The tangy taste of the sourdough combined with the salty topping would be perfect with hummus or fresh guacamole for a snack!

Ingredients:
1 cup sourdough starter (whatever you were going to discard, use it here instead!)
1/4 cup organic butter (you can use coconut oil or lard here if you prefer)
1 cup whole wheat or spelt flour (I used a cup of my sprouted wheat flour)
1/2 tsp sea salt
** optional - I added 3 T of ground flax seeds to my crackers**
Olive oil to brush crackers
Sea salt or coarse kosher salt to sprinkle
You can also sprinkle with garlic powder, italian seasonings, or any seasonings  you like!

Instructions:
1.In a large mixing bowl with a lid combine sourdough starter and butter. Mix until fully combined.
2.  Mix the sea salt in with 1/4 cup of  flour.
3.  Add flour mixture to the sourdough mixture and mix thoroughly.
4.  Add remaining flour in small increments until the dough mixture is stiff.  Add as little or as much as you need.  This will depend on the consistency of your starter.  I added my 3T ground flax before adding additional flour.
5.  Roll dough into ball and cover bowl with lid or plastic wrap to keep dough from drying out.  Allow this to sit a minimum of 7 hours (I made my in the afternoon and then used the dough the following morning)
6.  7 hours or more later - preheat oven to 350.
7.  Take half the dough and roll it very thin (I didn't do this batch thin enough in the center - next time I need to roll thinner!) on a baking stone, silicone baking mat, or parchment paper (if you use parchment it is more difficult since the paper wants to shift as you are rolling)
8.  Spread a small amount of olive oil on the surface of your dough with a pastry brush. Be sure to get all the way to the edges.
9.  Sprinkle with course salt (I actually used finely ground sea salt)
10.  Cut into 1" sections vertically and horizontally.
11. Transfer mat with cut dough onto a baking sheet.
12. Bake 15-20 mins or until golden brown.  These will actually separate by themselves in the oven!