Got a jar of sourdough discard hanging around in the fridge, silently judging you? Well good news, this is exactly what it's been waiting for. These little cheese crackers are sharp, buttery, and ridiculously moreish, and they come together with just six ingredients and a food processor. No fancy skills needed, no all-day project, just proper crunchy, cheesy goodness.

They're also an absolute win for lunchboxes. If you've got kids who inhale packet crackers by the sleeve, these are a great swap. Real cheese, real butter, no weird stuff, and they hold up brilliantly in a lunchbox or snack bag. Perfect for school lunches, after-school munchies, or just keeping in a jar on the bench for whenever the "I'm hungry" chorus starts up (you know the one).

Why You'll Love These

Real cheese = real flavour. Grate your own cheddar rather than grabbing the pre-shredded bag - that anti-caking coating on bagged cheese can leave your crackers a bit greasy instead of crisp, and freshly grated just tastes better anyway.

Discard doesn't go to waste. It gives the dough a subtle tang and helps everything bind together, so your feeding schedule finally earns its keep.

Cold butter = the crunch. Keep it cold and cubed right up until it goes in the food processor. That's the trick to a proper snap when you bite in, instead of something soft and biscuit-y.

Kid-approved. Cheesy, salty, crunchy, basically everything a kid (or adult, let's be honest) wants in a snack. And you know exactly what's in them.

What You'll Need

• 200g cheddar cheese, freshly grated (skip the pre-grated bag - the additives make the crackers oily)
• 100g sourdough discard
• 45g unsalted butter, cold and cubed
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tsp (5g) garlic powder
• ½ tsp (3g) salt
• Flaky salt, for topping

How to Make Them

1. Combine the grated cheddar, sourdough discard, cold cubed butter, flour, garlic powder, and salt into a food processor. Pulse until it looks like damp sand and clumps together when you press it between your fingers.

2. Tip it out, pat it into a flat disc, wrap it in plastic wrap, and stick it in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. This makes rolling so much easier and stops the butter turning to mush before it hits the oven.

3. Preheat your oven to 180°C conventional. Roll the chilled dough out on a sheet of baking paper as thin as you can. The thinner it is, the crunchier the end result.

4. Slice into even little squares with a pizza cutter or sharp knife, and pop them onto your baking tray. Poke the middle of each square with a toothpick or skewer so they don't puff up while baking.

5. Sprinkle over some flaky salt, then bake for 18 minutes, flipping halfway so both sides get nice and golden and crisp all over.

6. Let them cool. Try to resist eating them straight off the tray, they get even crunchier as they cool on a wire rack. (Good luck with that, especially if kids are hovering.)

Storing Them

Once they're completely cool, pop them in an airtight container or jar and keep at room temp. They'll last a week or two, but between school lunches and after-school raids, we'd be surprised if they stick around that long.

A Few Extra Tips

• Dough feeling too dry to roll? Add a splash of water, a teaspoon at a time no need to add more discard.
• Re-roll the scraps and keep cutting until all the dough is used up, you'll probably need a couple of trays.
• Want to switch it up? Swap in some parmesan for extra flavour, or add a pinch of smoked paprika if the kids (or you) are feeling adventurous.
  

Whether they're going straight into a lunchbox, handed over as an after-school snack, or served up on a cheese board for the grown-ups, these are the kind of crackers that never last long.