Ranch Flavored Sourdough Cheez-Its (Printable Version)

Crispy sourdough crackers flavored with sharp cheddar and ranch spices, perfect for game day snacks.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dairy

01 - 2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, grated
02 - 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cubed

→ Sourdough

03 - 1/4 cup sourdough starter, active or discard

→ Dry Ingredients

04 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
05 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
06 - 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
07 - 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ Ranch Seasoning

08 - 1 teaspoon dried dill
09 - 1 teaspoon dried parsley
10 - 1 teaspoon garlic powder
11 - 1 teaspoon onion powder
12 - 1/2 teaspoon dried chives
13 - 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
14 - 1/2 teaspoon dried buttermilk powder, optional

→ Topping

15 - Flaky sea salt for sprinkling

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
02 - In a food processor, combine grated cheddar and cold butter. Pulse until mixture becomes crumbly.
03 - Add sourdough starter to the food processor and pulse again until mostly incorporated.
04 - In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, dill, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, chives, black pepper, and buttermilk powder if using.
05 - Add dry mixture to the food processor and pulse until a dough forms. If too dry, add 1 to 2 teaspoons cold water as needed.
06 - Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.
07 - Using a fluted pastry wheel or sharp knife, cut dough into 1 inch squares. Use a skewer to poke a small hole in the center of each cracker.
08 - Transfer squares to prepared baking sheets, leaving space between each cracker.
09 - Sprinkle tops lightly with flaky sea salt.
10 - Bake 16 to 18 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden and crisp.
11 - Cool completely on rack before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • They taste store-bought fancy but come together in your own kitchen with ingredients you probably have on hand.
  • The sourdough starter gives you that addictive tangy edge that keeps people reaching back into the bowl.
  • Ranch flavor hits different when it's layered through a crispy, cheesy cracker instead of just sitting on the surface.
02 -
  • Don't skip rotating the pans halfway through—bottom sheets always bake faster than top sheets, and uneven rotation will give you some burnt and some underdone crackers.
  • The sourdough starter makes a real difference in flavor, but it also makes the dough slightly wetter, so if your dough is crumbly, add water drop by drop instead of all at once.
  • Once they're cool, store them in an airtight container immediately—exposure to air will soften them, and you want them to stay crispy for at least a week.
03 -
  • Use a food scale for the flour and cheese if you have one—weight measurements are more forgiving than cups and prevent dense, heavy crackers.
  • Keep everything cold before you mix, especially the butter and sourdough starter pulled from the fridge—cold ingredients are what create that shatteringly crisp texture.
Return