Sourdough Spanish Toasted Garlic and Smoked Paprika Rounds
Crispy, thin sourdough discard crackers infused with toasted garlic, smoked paprika, and thyme. These Spanish-inspired rounds transform tangy sourdough starter into a crunchy snack or appetizer with Mediterranean flavors. Perfect for using up discard and requiring minimal additional ingredients.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 18 min
- Wait
- 5 min
- Total
- 38 min
- Makes
- About 24–30 crackers
Steps
Before you start
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C) and position a rack in the upper-middle section
- Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper
- Have your sourdough discard at room temperature
Toast garlic in oil
- Heat the olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.
- Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the garlic turns light golden and releases its aroma.
- Do not let it brown too dark or it will taste bitter.
- Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.
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Ready when: Garlic slices are light golden and fragrant
Tip: Watch carefully—garlic burns quickly and becomes acrid. Golden, not brown, is your target.
Mix dough base
- Pour the room-temperature sourdough discard into a bowl.
- Add the toasted garlic with all its oil, smoked paprika, fresh thyme, sea salt, and black pepper.
- Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture is completely combined and fairly smooth, about 1 minute.
- The dough will be thick and slightly sticky, like a very soft batter.
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Ready when: All ingredients are evenly incorporated with no dry streaks
Tip: The mixture should be thicker than pancake batter but still spoonable. If too thick, the crackers will be tough.
Spread on parchment
- Transfer the dough to the parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Using a spatula or the back of a spoon, spread it into an even, thin layer (about 1/8 inch / 3 mm thick) across most of the sheet, leaving a 1-inch border on all sides.
- Work from the center outward and use a light hand—don't press too hard, which will deflate the starter.
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Ready when: Dough is spread evenly and thinly with no thick patches or air pockets
Tip: Parchment is essential—it prevents sticking and allows even browning. Don't use regular paper, which can burn.
Bake until crispyOven 400°F / 205°C
- Place the baking sheet in the preheated 400°F (200°C) oven on the upper-middle rack.
- Bake for 12–15 minutes, until the entire surface is golden brown and feels crisp when you touch an edge.
- The edges and corners may brown slightly darker than the center, which is fine and adds flavor.
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Ready when: Entire surface is golden brown and feels dry and crisp at the edges; no soft or wet patches remain
Tip: If your oven runs hot, check at 12 minutes. Underbaked crackers will be chewy; overbaked ones may taste burnt. Stop when just golden.
Cool and break into rounds
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the crackers cool on the parchment for 3–5 minutes.
- Once they are cool enough to handle but still slightly warm, break them into rough rounds or jagged pieces with your hands.
- They will crisp further as they cool completely.
- Once fully cool (about 10 minutes), they should snap cleanly with no give.
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Ready when: Crackers are completely cool, fully crisp, and snap cleanly when broken
Tip: Break them while warm and still slightly flexible—once completely cold they shatter. Irregular shapes add rustic charm.
Good to know
Tips
- Sourdough discard should be active and bubbly, ideally 4–8 hours after feeding your starter. This ensures better rise and flavor. Unfed or dormant discard will produce flat, denser crackers.
- For extra-crispy crackers, reduce the spread thickness to 1/16 inch (2 mm) and shorten the bake time to 10–12 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.
- These crackers pair wonderfully with Spanish cheeses (Manchego, Idiazabal), cured meats (jamón ibérico), or a whipped feta dip. They also make a sophisticated base for appetizers.
- The ratio of oil to dough is important for crispness and flavor. Don't skip the toasted garlic oil or reduce it significantly, or the crackers will be bland and tough.
Make ahead
These crackers are best eaten the day they are made, while still crisp. You can prepare the toasted garlic and spice mixture up to 2 hours ahead and store it in an airtight container; mix with sourdough discard and bake when ready.
Storage & reheating
Room temp (sealed airtight container): up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days (re-crisp in a 300°F / 150°C oven for 3–4 minutes if they soften). Freezer: up to 3 weeks (thaw at room temp for 30 minutes, then re-crisp in the oven). These crackers are most enjoyable fresh and crunchy, so plan to serve them soon after baking.
Substitutions
- fresh thyme leaves → ½ teaspoon dried oregano or dried thyme. Dried herbs are more concentrated. Use half the fresh amount. Oregano leans Italian rather than Spanish, so thyme is preferred if available.
- smoked paprika (pimentón) → 1 teaspoon sweet (non-smoked) paprika plus a pinch of smoked salt. This mimics the smoky, paprika flavor but with less smoke intensity. Adjust to taste.
- extra-virgin olive oil → Neutral oil (vegetable, canola) plus a small drizzle of toasted sesame oil for depth. Neutral oil works in a pinch, but loses the Mediterranean character. Add just ¼ teaspoon sesame oil to compensate.
- active sourdough starter discard → Active sourdough starter thinned with 2–3 tablespoons water to reach a thick batter consistency. Use actively fed starter that is bubbly and peaked. The water helps achieve the right batter thickness if your starter is thicker than 1 cup.
