Sourdough Discard Crispy Prosciutto Bits and Fontina Rounds

Name: Sourdough Discard Crispy Prosciutto Bits and Fontina Rounds
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Yield: 24 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) active sourdough discard (fed 4–8 hours ahead), at room temperature; 3 tablespoons (43 g) unsalted butter, cold, cut into small cubes; ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour; ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt; ¼ teaspoon (1.3 ml) freshly ground black pepper, freshly ground; 2 ounces (57 g) prosciutto, finely minced or chopped into small bits; ¾ cup (85 g) fontina cheese, finely grated; 1 teaspoon (3 g) fresh thyme leaves, lightly chopped (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crispy, buttery sourdough crackers studded with salty prosciutto bits and melted fontina cheese. These savory rounds use discarded sourdough starter, making them a smart way to replenish your culture while baking thin, shattered crackers with deep flavor. Perfect for cheese boards, appetizers, or snacking straight from the cooling rack.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 18 min
Wait: 30 min
Total: 1 hr 8 min
Makes: 24 crackers (about 1½ oz / 42 g per serving)

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Steps

Before you start

Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
Remove fontina from the fridge 15 minutes before use so it's easier to grate
Have your sourdough discard at room temperature (ideally fed or unfed within the last 24 hours)

1
Mix the dough
- In a shallow bowl, combine 1 cup (240 ml) room-temperature sourdough discard, 3 tablespoons (43 g) cold butter cubes, ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour, ½ teaspoon (3 g) kosher salt, and ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper.
- Stir with a fork until the butter is broken into small pea-sized pieces and the mixture is shaggy and barely holding together.
- Do not overmix—the small butter pieces create steam pockets that yield crispness.
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Ready when: shaggy dough with pea-sized butter visible
Tip: Keep the butter cold; if it softens, refrigerate the bowl for 5 minutes before continuing.
2
Add prosciutto, fontina, and thyme
- Fold in 2 ounces (57 g) minced prosciutto, ¾ cup (85 g) grated fontina, and 1 teaspoon (3 g) fresh thyme leaves until just combined.
- The dough will be very loose and moist—this is correct.
- It should feel like a thick, studded batter rather than a traditional dough.
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Ready when: prosciutto, fontina, and thyme evenly distributed
Tip: Fold gently to avoid compacting the dough, which would make the crackers tough instead of crispy.
3
Prepare baking sheets
- Divide the dough in half.
- Spread one half onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, using a bench scraper or offset spatula to press it into a thin, even layer about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick, leaving a small margin around the edges.
- The layer does not need to be perfect—any gaps or thick spots will add texture.
- Repeat with the second half on the second baking sheet.
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Ready when: dough spread into thin, even layers on both sheets
Tip: Wet hands slightly to prevent the sticky dough from clinging to your tools; the moisture helps it spread evenly.
4
Rest before bakingOven 400°F / 205°C
- Let the sheets sit at room temperature for 20–30 minutes.
- This brief rest allows the glutens to relax and the dough to dry slightly on the surface, promoting even browning and crispness.
- You can prepare your oven during this time if you haven't already.
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Ready when: surface looks slightly less wet
Tip: If your kitchen is very warm, reduce the rest time to 15 minutes to avoid the dough drying out too much at the edges.
5
Score into rounds
- Using a small sharp knife or bench scraper, lightly score the dough into 1½-inch (4 cm) rounds or squares—you should get about 12 pieces per sheet.
- Do not cut all the way through; just score the surface enough to guide breaking apart after baking.
- The pieces can slightly overlap.
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Ready when: all pieces marked with light score lines
Tip: Scoring helps crackers break cleanly along lines and ensures even-sized pieces for consistent baking.
6
Bake until golden and crispOven 400°F / 205°C
- Bake both sheets at 400°F (200°C) for 16–18 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking (at about 8 minutes).
- The crackers are done when they are deep golden brown on top and the edges are slightly darker.
- The cheese should bubble slightly and the prosciutto bits will crisp up and darken.
- The surface will still feel slightly soft when warm but will crisp as it cools.
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Ready when: deep golden-brown color, crispy-looking edges, slightly puffed and darkened prosciutto
Tip: Watch the edges carefully—they brown faster than the center. If edges darken too quickly before the center is golden, reduce the oven temperature by 25°F (14°C) for the remaining time.
7
Cool and break apart
- Remove both sheets from the oven and let cool for 2–3 minutes on the pan.
- While still slightly warm, use a bench scraper to break the crackers apart along the scored lines.
- Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (about 10 minutes).
- As they cool, they will continue to firm up and crisp.
- Do not stack or store until completely cooled.
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Ready when: fully cooled, snaps cleanly when bent, no soft spots
Tip: Break them apart while still warm but cool enough to handle—this prevents shattering and ensures clean breaks along score lines.

Good to know

Tips

Use sourdough discard that was fed 4–8 hours before mixing, or unfed discard from the past day—either gives good results. The sourdough adds tangy flavor depth without requiring a long ferment.
Keep all ingredients cool, especially the butter, to ensure pockets of fat that steam and create flakiness. If your kitchen is hot, chill the dough in the bowl for 5 minutes before spreading.
For extra-crispy crackers, bake a bit longer (up to 20 minutes) if your oven runs cool, watching carefully to avoid burning the edges.
These crackers are best served warm or at room temperature the day they are made, but they keep crisp in an airtight container for several days and can be crisped up again in a low oven.

Make ahead

You can prepare the dough and spread it on baking sheets up to 2 hours ahead; cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Bake directly from the cold sheets, adding 1–2 minutes to the baking time. Unbaked dough keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days. For longer storage, freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 weeks. Reheat on a baking sheet at 325°F (163°C) for 3–4 minutes to restore crispness before serving.

Substitutions

fontina cheese → Gruyère, aged Cheddar, or Parmigiano-Reggiano. Fontina melts smoothly and adds richness, but these harder cheeses create equally delicious crackers with more assertive flavor. Use the same amount.
prosciutto → Crispy bacon, pancetta, or spicy chorizo. Any cured, salty pork works well. Chop finely so pieces distribute evenly. Adjust salt in the dough by a pinch if using especially salty add-ins.
fresh thyme leaves → Rosemary, oregano, or Italian seasoning. Use the same amount of dried herbs if fresh is unavailable; dried herbs are more concentrated, so you can reduce to ½ teaspoon if you prefer a milder herb flavor.
unsalted butter → Olive oil or ghee. Use 2½ tablespoons (37 ml) oil in place of butter for a slightly different texture. Olive oil yields a more rustic, less flaky cracker but equally delicious results.