Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish Crackers
These homemade Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish crackers are everything your kids love, only better. They’re buttery, cheesy, and crisp with a subtle tang from sourdough discard, and they’re naturally colored with natural plant powders that you can't even taste (like red rice yeast, spinach, and turmeric). Shaped like fish just like the nostalgic goldfish snack we know and love, these crackers are the perfect way to elevate your child's meals with ingredients you can feel good about.
Equipment
- Food processor for combining ingredients
- Plastic wrap to chill dough
- Rolling Pin to roll out dough
- Fish shaped cookie cutters to cut out fish shapes
- Skewer or toothpick to shape fish eyes
- Small teaspoon to make fish mouth
- Parchment paper to keep crackers from sticking and burning
- Baking sheets to bake crackers
Ingredients
Sourdough Rainbow Goldfish Crackers
- 2 cups (225g) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded cold
- ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- 1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder optional
- ¼ cup (60g) cold sourdough discard (100% hydration)
- 1-2 teaspoons ice water as needed
- Natural color powders see notes above in ingredient notes
- Flaky sea salt for topping optional
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Cracker Dough
- In a food processor fitted with the blade attachment, pulse the shredded cheddar and cold butter until a coarse crumb forms, into small pea sized bits.2 cups (225g) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, shredded cold, ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cold and cubed
- Add flour, cornstarch, sea salt, garlic powder, and baking powder to the food processor. Pulse until combined. Mixture will be crumbly as pictured below.1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- Add sourdough discard and honey or sugar to the dough. Pulse until the dough starts clumping. If it’s too dry, add ice water 1 teaspoon at a time until it just comes together. Be very careful when adding water not to add to much, you want dough to barely form a ball as pictured below.1 teaspoon honey or sugar, ¼ cup (60g) cold sourdough discard (100% hydration), 1-2 teaspoons ice water
Step 2: Color Dough
- Split the dough into 2–3 portions depending on how many colors you want to make. Add natural powders in 1/4 teaspoon at a time to dough pulsing in the food processor until blended. Add enough powder to reach the desired color, but go very slowly as to not overpower the dough with the taste of the powders. I used roughly 1/2 teaspoon of powder to achieve the colors I liked.Natural color powders
- Shape dough into discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes.
- Overnight Fermentation (Optional): If you want additional fermentation time for the sourdough starter to really work on breaking down the gluten in the dough, refrigerate dough overnight.
Step 3: Shape and Bake The Crackers
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll dough to ⅛” thick. Cut into goldfish shapes and place on parchment lined pan. Use a skewer or toothpick to poke a tiny “eye”, and use a small spoon to shape the smile or mouth of the fish.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 18–20 minutes, rotating the tray halfway, until golden and crisp. Top with flaky sea salt if desired.Flaky sea salt for topping
- Let cool completely before enjoying!
- Yields: ~100 mini crackers
Notes
How To Store:
- Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week.
- For longer shelf life, freeze in a zip-top bag for up to 2 months.