Sourdough Discard Nicaraguan Ayote Squash and Roasted Garlic Crackers

Name: Sourdough Discard Nicaraguan Ayote Squash and Roasted Garlic Crackers
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 1 servings
Cuisine: Nicaraguan
Ingredients: 1 cup (240 ml) sourdough starter discard (unfed, at room temperature), at room temperature; ½ cup (120 g) ayote squash (or butternut squash if ayote unavailable), roasted, cooled, and mashed or finely grated; 6 cloves (30 g) roasted garlic cloves, cooled and mashed into a smooth paste; ¾ cup (90 g) all-purpose flour; ¼ cup (30 g) whole wheat flour; 2 tablespoons (30 ml) olive oil; ½ teaspoon (3 g) sea salt; ¼ teaspoon (1.3 ml) freshly ground black pepper; 8 leaves (3 g) fresh sage leaves, finely chopped; fleur de sel or coarse sea salt (for topping) (optional)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Crispy, savory crackers made with sourdough discard, roasted garlic purée, and ayote squash (a mild, slightly sweet Central American squash). The squash adds subtle earthiness and keeps the crackers tender inside while edges brown to crispness. These are rustic, mildly tangy from the sourdough, and fragrant with sage—perfect for snacking or serving alongside soups and cheese boards.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 25 min
Wait: 1 hr
Total: 1 hr 45 min
Makes: About 35 to 40 crackers (from one 9×13-inch sheet)

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Steps

Before you start

Roast the garlic cloves 30–40 minutes ahead so they cool to room temperature before mixing.
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) if not already done.
Have parchment paper or a silicone mat ready for the baking sheet.
Measure out your sourdough discard at room temperature.

1
Combine wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sourdough discard (1 cup / 240 ml), mashed roasted garlic (about 2 tablespoons / 30 g), and mashed or finely grated ayote squash (½ cup / 120 g).
- The mixture should be smooth and fairly wet.
- If using butternut squash, squeeze out excess moisture with a clean kitchen towel to prevent the dough from becoming too wet.
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Ready when: mixture is uniform and smooth
Tip: Squeeze excess water from the squash if it released a lot of liquid—the dough should be thick, not soupy.
2
Mix in dry ingredients
- Add the all-purpose flour (¾ cup / 90 g), whole wheat flour (¼ cup / 30 g), olive oil (2 tablespoons / 30 ml), sea salt (½ teaspoon / 3 g), and black pepper (¼ teaspoon) to the wet mixture.
- Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until a shaggy dough forms and all flour is incorporated.
- The dough will be stiff but slightly sticky.
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Ready when: all dry ingredients are incorporated and no flour streaks remain
Tip: Do not overwork the dough; mixing just until combined keeps crackers tender.
3
Fold in sage
- Gently fold the chopped fresh sage leaves (8 leaves / 3 g) into the dough with a few strokes of the spoon.
- The sage should be distributed throughout but you do not need to blend it completely—small leaf pieces add visual appeal and flavor.
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Ready when: sage is distributed throughout the dough
4
Let dough rest
- Cover the bowl with a damp kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest at room temperature for 30–45 minutes.
- This allows the flour to fully hydrate and makes the dough easier to handle and roll out.
- The dough should relax slightly and become slightly less sticky.
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Ready when: dough is less sticky and has relaxed slightly
Tip: If your kitchen is very warm, reduce the rest time to 30 minutes to prevent over-fermentation.
5
Preheat and prepareOven 375°F / 190°C
- About 5 minutes before rolling out the dough, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Line a 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
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Ready when: oven reaches temperature and sheet is lined
6
Roll out dough
- Place the rested dough on the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Using a rolling pin (lightly flour it if needed), roll the dough to an even thickness of about ⅛ inch (3 mm), working from the center outward.
- It should fill most of the sheet in a thin, uniform layer.
- If the dough resists, let it rest for 2–3 minutes and try again.
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Ready when: dough is evenly rolled to ⅛-inch thickness and covers the sheet
Tip: Keep the thickness uniform; thinner spots will burn and thick spots will stay chewy.
7
Score and season
- Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, score the rolled dough into 1½-inch (4 cm) squares or rectangles.
- Do not cut all the way through; score about halfway to create a perforated sheet that will break apart neatly after baking.
- If using fleur de sel for topping, sprinkle it lightly over the surface now.
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Ready when: dough is scored into even pieces and is lightly salted
Tip: Score with even pressure so all pieces will bake at the same rate and break apart cleanly.
8
Bake until goldenOven 375°F / 190°C
- Transfer the baking sheet to the preheated 375°F (190°C) oven.
- Bake for 22–26 minutes, until the edges are deep golden brown and the center is light golden and crispy-looking.
- The crackers should smell nutty and fragrant.
- Rotate the sheet halfway through baking (at 12–13 minutes) if your oven has hot spots, and watch the corners—they may brown faster than the center.
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Ready when: edges are deep golden brown, center is light golden, and crackers smell nutty and fragrant
Tip: Do not underbake; undercooked crackers will not be crispy. The centers should look completely dry and the edges should be quite brown.
9
Cool completelyOven 325°F / 165°C
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the crackers cool on the sheet for 10–15 minutes.
- They will continue to crisp as they cool.
- Once they are at room temperature (about 5 more minutes on a cooling rack), break them apart along the scored lines.
- If any pieces are still soft in the center, return them to a 325°F (163°C) oven for 3–5 minutes.
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Ready when: crackers are completely cool and snap cleanly when broken
Tip: Do not try to break apart hot crackers; they are fragile and will crumble. Wait until they are fully cool for the best results.

Good to know

Tips

Roast your garlic cloves ahead: Toss 6 cloves with a pinch of olive oil, wrap in foil, and roast at 400°F (200°C) for 30–40 minutes until soft and golden. Cool before mashing into a paste. This develops deep, sweet garlic flavor that is much milder than raw garlic.
Ayote squash is grown throughout Central America and is sometimes sold in Latin markets as 'cidra' or 'squash seed squash.' It is paler and more delicate than butternut. If you cannot find it, butternut squash or kabocha are the best substitutes in texture and sweetness.
These crackers pair beautifully with Nicaraguan-inspired cheese boards or served alongside black bean soup. The sage and garlic make them excellent alongside soft cheeses, cured meats, and pickled vegetables.
If your crackers come out chewy or soft, they were underbaked or your oven runs cool. Next time, bake for an extra 2–3 minutes or increase the oven temperature by 25°F (14°C). Properly baked crackers should snap cleanly and have no soft centers.

Make ahead

Prepare the dough up to step 4 (after the rest) up to 2 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling out. The baked crackers keep well, so you can make a full batch 3–4 days ahead.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Crackers will stay crispy if kept away from humidity. Freezer: Stack them between parchment and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Do not refrigerate, as moisture will soften them quickly.

Substitutions

ayote squash (or butternut squash if ayote unavailable) → Butternut squash, kabocha squash, or even sweet potato (roasted, mashed, and excess moisture squeezed out). Ayote has a mild, slightly sweet flavor unique to Central America. Butternut is the closest substitute in flavor and texture. If using sweet potato, reduce the amount slightly as it is wetter and more assertive in flavor.
fresh sage leaves → Fresh thyme, dried sage (use ¼ teaspoon), or fresh rosemary (use 1 tablespoon chopped). Sage complements the roasted garlic and squash well, but thyme and rosemary work beautifully as alternatives. Dried sage is stronger, so use less.
whole wheat flour → All-purpose flour (use 1 cup / 120 g total flour, omitting the whole wheat). The whole wheat adds mild nutty flavor and slight complexity, but you can use all white flour for a lighter, more delicate cracker.
sourdough starter discard (unfed, at room temperature) → Thinned whole wheat flour starter or unfed active dry yeast starter (use the same volume). The sourdough discard provides tang and flavor; any sourdough or wheat starter at a pourable consistency will work. If you must use active dry yeast instead, dissolve ¼ teaspoon in the discard and let sit 5 minutes before mixing.