Budget Sourdough Discard Spinach and Sesame Sheet Pan Crisps
Crispy, savory sheet pan chips made from sourdough discard mixed with fresh spinach and sesame seeds. This is a brilliant way to use starter you'd otherwise throw away—the tanginess of the sourdough pairs beautifully with toasted sesame and garlic. They're ready in under 30 minutes and require just five ingredients. Perfect as a snack, appetizer, or salad topper.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Total
- 28 min
- Makes
- About 40–50 crisps (one sheet pan)
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat your oven to 375 °F (190 °C) and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Make sure your sourdough discard is at room temperature—cold starter can be thick and hard to spread.
- Have fresh spinach finely chopped or minced so it distributes evenly throughout the mixture.
Mix the batter
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the sourdough discard, chopped spinach, minced garlic, sesame seeds, and salt.
- Stir with a rubber spatula until fully combined and the spinach is evenly distributed.
- The mixture should be slightly thick and spreadable, similar to thick pancake batter.
- If it seems too stiff (some discard is thicker than others), add 1–2 tablespoons of water to loosen it.
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Ready when: Mixture is homogenous with spinach and sesame evenly distributed
Tip: Don't overmix; you want flecks of spinach visible in the finished crisps.
Spread thin on the pan
- Spread the batter very thinly and unevenly across the parchment-lined sheet pan, leaving some small gaps.
- Aim for a thickness of about ⅛ inch (3 mm) in most places, thinner in some spots so you get a mix of crispy and extra-crispy edges.
- Use the back of the spatula to gently push and spread, and don't worry about a perfectly even layer—irregular thickness creates texture and crunch.
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Ready when: Batter is spread across the entire pan with visible gaps and uneven thickness
Tip: Thinner spots will crisp faster and taste more like chips; thicker spots will be chewy. This variety is part of the appeal.
Roast until crispyOven 375°F / 190°C
- Place the sheet pan in the preheated 375 °F (190 °C) oven and roast for 18–22 minutes, until the mixture is deeply browned and crackles when you gently press it.
- Most of it should look lightly charred around the edges, and no shiny moisture should remain on the surface.
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Ready when: Surface is deeply browned to lightly charred, crisps snap when pressed, no moisture visible
Tip: If your oven runs cool, it may take up to 22 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through if your oven has hot spots.
Cool and break apart
- Remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 5 minutes.
- The crisps will firm up as they cool.
- Once cool enough to handle, break the sheet into irregular crackers of various sizes—some bite-sized, some larger.
- They'll continue to firm up and become more crispy as they cool completely at room temperature.
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Ready when: Crisps are cool to the touch and snapping when broken
Tip: They're still slightly pliable when warm, so waiting a few minutes prevents shattering your fingers.
Good to know
Tips
- This is the perfect way to use sourdough discard that's been sitting in your fridge—no need to wait for a feeding or schedule. One cup of discard makes a generous batch.
- For extra flavor, whisk a tiny pinch of cayenne or red pepper flakes into the batter before spreading.
- These crisps are excellent crumbled over soups, salads, or grain bowls. They also work as a gluten-free(ish) alternative to croutons for those using whole-grain sourdough.
- If you prefer less savory and more umami-forward crisps, replace half the sesame seeds with furikake or nori seaweed flakes.
Make ahead
Prepare the batter up to 2 hours ahead; cover and refrigerate. Spread and bake within 30 minutes of mixing for best flavor and crunch. Once roasted and cooled, store in an airtight container.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks; crisp in a 350 °F (175 °C) oven for 3–4 minutes before serving.
Substitutions
- fresh spinach → finely chopped kale, chard, or arugula. Use the same weight; adjust salt to taste since kale needs more seasoning.
- sesame seeds (raw or toasted) → poppy seeds, nigella seeds, or pumpkin seeds (pepitas). Use the same amount; pumpkin seeds will roast darker and may need 1–2 minutes less oven time.
- garlic → Italian seasoning, dried thyme, or furikake (Japanese seasoning). Use ½ tsp dried herbs or 1 tbsp furikake in place of the garlic for a completely different flavor profile.
- fine sea salt → smoked salt or sea salt flakes. Sea salt flakes add crunch; smoked salt adds depth. Use the same amount.
