Rebekah Parr
Are you ready for the best sourdough discard graham crackers recipe? I’ve got you covered with a Honey Maid copycat recipe, enhanced by the fermentation magic of sourdough starter.
We have secret ingredients (spoiler: graham flour and molasses), tips and tricks (hello, pizza cutter!), and a perfect excuse for some S’mores by the campfire. Let’s get into it!
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Secret Ingredient: Graham Flour
The classic Honey Maid graham crackers from the store include a unique ingredient called graham flour. I really wanted the sourdough version to rival the store's stuff minus the preservatives and nasty ingredients like soybean oil.
So, I looked into it and graham flour is a course flour, very similar to whole wheat flour.
It was named after Sylvester Graham, who fittingly invented graham crackers. His were much different from the ones we know today, though—they were pretty bland and resembled saltine crackers.
You don’t have to use graham flour in this recipe, especially since it’s not a typical pantry staple. But if you’re really going for a copycat Honey Maid graham cracker, it’s worth the splurge!
I got my graham flour from King Arthur’s website.
Ingredients
Forget the chemicals, preservatives, and low-quality oils in the store-bought version. Here’s a look at the ingredients in our sourdough graham cracker recipe.
- Graham flour: a courser version of whole wheat flour that gives this sourdough version the perfect texture!
- All-purpose flour: mixing in some all-purpose flour keeps the graham cracker from being too dense and heavy.
- Sourdough discard: adds a slight tang and offers all of the unique health benefits of sourdough, as long as you do a long ferment.
- Butter: the butter adds structure, depth, and richness to this recipe. I prefer using unsalted butter so we can control the amount of salt ourselves.
- Honey: you can’t have a Honey Maid recipe without the honey!
- Brown sugar: brown sugar adds more depth to the sweetness.
- Molasses: this is another secret ingredient that adds so much complexity to the final result.
- Baking soda: helps a little with the proper rise; also controls the pH of the cracker which helps with the proper flavor and color.
- Salt: can’t have something sweet without a pinch of salt!
- Vanilla: adds a little more depth of flavor.
- Cinnamon: provides great flavor; a must-have for a true graham cracker-from-the-store copycat!
See recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Sourdough Graham Crackers
If the recipe card is a little too condensed for you, here are more detailed instructions for how to make these delicious homemade graham crackers.
Making the Dough (Day 1)
Step 1: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together room temperature butter with molasses and equal parts honey and brown sugar for about 1 minute.
Step 2: Add sourdough discard and vanilla extract, and mix the ingredients until fully combined.
Step 3: In a separate, medium mixing bowl, combine graham flour (or whole wheat flour), all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until fully combined. Pour these dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix together until no bits of flour remain. You may need to use a spatula at the end to scrape down the sides and finish incorporating.
Step 4: Scoop out the mixture onto a sheet of plastic wrap and wrap it up tightly. Place in fridge overnight to ferment.
Baking the Graham Crackers (Day 2)
Step 5: Divide the cold dough ball in two. Dust a sheet of parchment paper with brown rice flour. Place one half of the dough ball on the sheet of parchment paper and roll it out into a large rectangle. Use brown rice flour to dust your rolling pin and the top of the dough to prevent sticking.
Step 6: Using a pizza cutter or other sharp knife, trim the edges (if desired) and cut the sheet of dough into graham cracker-sized rectangles. Use a fork to poke holes on each graham cracker.
Step 7 (optional): Place the baking sheet in the freezer for 1 hour, or until set enough to separate each graham cracker. This helps with even baking. Separate your half-frozen graham crackers so there is a little space between each on the large sheet of parchment paper.
Step 8: Brush the tops of graham crackers with melted butter and dust with cinnamon sugar. (I like to melt butter in the microwave.) Bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes, or until golden brown. The bake time will vary depending on whether or not you did Step 7. Keep a close eye on them so they don’t burn!
Let the crackers cool fully.
Enjoy your perfect snack, ideal for charcuterie boards, S’mores, pie crust, or one of my favorites – Nutella and marshmallow fluff!
How to Store Sourdough Graham Crackers
You can store your homemade sourdough graham crackers in an airtight container or ziptop bag on your counter for up to 5-7 days. Good luck letting it last that long, though!
Substitutions
- Graham flour: you can substitute the graham flour for whole wheat flour. The texture will be slightly denser, but it’ll still be delicious!
- Butter: if you’re avoiding dairy, you can substitute the butter for coconut oil or avocado oil.
- Molasses: if you don’t have molasses, you can substitute in additional brown sugar. Brown sugar has molasses in it, though you won’t get quite the complexity of flavor since it’s not as prominent.
📖Printable Recipe
Sourdough Graham Cracker Recipe
Ingredients
- 85 grams unsalted butter room temperature
- 110 grams honey
- 110 grams brown sugar
- 45 grams molasses
- 120 grams sourdough discard
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 180 grams graham flour substitute whole wheat flour if desired
- 90 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- brown rice flour for rolling the dough
Optional topping
- 30 grams butter
- cinnamon sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Cream butter, brown sugar, honey, and molasses in stand mixer. Add sourdough discard and vanilla extract; mix.
- Combine graham flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in separate bowl; mix into wet ingredients.
- Wrap dough in plastic wrap; refrigerate overnight.
- On Day 2, divide dough. Using brown rice flour to prevent sticking, roll out half into rectangle on parchment paper.
- Trim edges, cut into rectangles, and poke holes. Optionally, freeze for 1 hour and separate each graham cracker for more even baking.
- Brush tops with melted butter, sprinkle cinnamon sugar, and bake at 350F for 12-14 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
More Sourdough Discard Recipes
Conclusion
Homemade graham crackers are so much healthier for you than storebought, and fermenting the dough overnight with sourdough starter takes it to a whole new level.
This recipe is the perfect way to use up extra discard, and it’s also a great baking activity to do with your kids. You don’t have to do regular graham cracker shapes – you could use cookie cutters or even animal cracker cutouts if you have them!
Rebekah Parr
Rebekah Parr, Founder of That Sourdough Gal, fell into sourdough in the fall of 2023, and she hasn't emerged since! The first time she heard her 5-year-old daughter rave about her sourdough bagels, she knew this was a hobby that would stick. Parr has come to learn about all the amazing benefits of sourdough, and she's passionate about teaching it to others. Her goal is to help you make sourdough for your family while enjoying all of the incredible health benefits.
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