Producing Crackers

Crackers are a type of biscuit which have  long been valued for their diversity and versatility. They were first produced to sustain travelers such as seafarers and sailors on their long arduous journeys. Look in any ration pack and there will most likely be a range of crackers because they are so light. Think of the travels of the intrepid heroes in ‘The Two Towers’ who are fortified by crackers made from some unmentionable flour.

All crackers by their very name are crispy, light, open textured baked biscuits which are invariably savoury. Some sweetness, or at least a perception of sweetness may be offered if a sweet vegetable or fruit is added as part of the ingredient mix. There is an almost infinite variety of types of cracker ranging from soda and snack crackers, cream crackers, water biscuits, puff biscuits, cheese biscuits, ‘Ritz’, calcium crackers, the ‘maltkist’ which is a sugar-topped cracker, saltine crackers and so on.

In more recent times, wheat flour has been removed so that a gluten-free cracker can be developed.

The key characteristics according to Davidson (2016) are:-

• Cracker doughs are leavened or fermented using either yeast, ammonia and sodium bicarbonate.
• Crackers are cut as rounds or baked as strips. In some cases they are produced as complete sheets and then broken into their individual biscuits.
• Cracker doughs have to spring or lift in the early part of the baking process which is usually in an oven. An open, flaky texture is created which requires high humidity and a good heat input to get the necessary changes.
• The traditional English cracker as it is sometimes called is baked on a light wire-mesh band.
• Traditional American crackers are baked on heavy mesh oven bands that are preheated to transfer heat rapidly by conduction through the dough pieces.
• The moisture content of a hard dough used for crackers is surprisingly high at between 15 and 30 per cent which must be reduced severely to obtain a dry biscuit. The formulations for these types of product will also have relatively small amounts of sugar and fats. It is the vigorous cutting and shearing of the dough during manufacture that develops the gluten and produces an extensible dough. 
• A high energy heat input is required to generate the low moisture content in a cracker. That value is between 1.5 and 2.5%.
• The shelf-life is at least 12 months in most cases and some are designed for 3 years.

General Process Of Manufacture

1. All the ingredients are mixed together in a large batch mixer. These ingredients invariably include wheat flour, water, salt, and any other flavorings or additives.
2. Kneading: The dough is kneaded to develop the gluten, which gives the crackers their structure and texture.
3. Resting: The cracker dough is allowed to stand to either ferment or rest for a significant period of time so that the gluten relaxes and is easier to roll out.
4. Rolling: The dough is rolled out into thin sheets using a rolling pin or a machine. The thickness of the sheets can vary depending on the desired texture and crunchiness of the crackers.
5. Forming: The dough is formed into various shapes, usually rounds or rectangles, but many other shapes can be generated.
6. Cutting: These sheets of dough are cut into the desired shape and size using a cookie cutter or a machine.
7. Baking: The crackers are baked in an oven at a high temperature until they are golden brown and crispy. The baking time and temperature may vary depending on the size and thickness of the crackers. The type of baking oven is important. Band ovens are still highly prominent in the biscuit and cracker baking industry as we mentioned earlier concerning the baking of American style crackers.
8. Sprayed with oil or some other lubricant to allow surface coatings to be applied
9. Cooling: The crackers are allowed to cool to room temperature before being packaged and shipped to stores.
10. Packed and stacked typically airtight containers which preserves freshness and crispiness.

The baking of biscuits is extremely well reviewed and covered off in books such as:-

Biscuit Baking technology (2nd edt.) Processing and Engineering Manual (2016) by Ian Davidson

Baking problems Solved (2nd edt.) Woodhead Publ. Series in Food Science, Technol., Nutr. 

The range of books by Duncan Manley cover every aspect of biscuit manufacture and remain the Gold Standard in terms of advice on biscuit manufacturing generally.

Formulations and Recipes For Crackers

A typical recipe and method of making in the home is the following:

Ingredients:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
• ¼ cup cold water
• Optional toppings: coarse sea salt, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, herbs, grated cheese, etc.

Preparation

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Prepare the Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and baking powder.
3. Incorporate the Butter: Add the cold, cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, blend the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs.
4. Add Water: Gradually add the cold water, a tablespoon at a time, mixing until the dough comes together. You may not need all the water, so add it slowly to avoid making the dough too wet.
5. Knead the Dough: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it a few times until smooth. Be careful not to overwork the dough.
6. Roll Out the Dough: Roll the dough out as thin as possible, aiming for about 1/8 inch (3 mm) thickness. The thinner the dough, the crispier the crackers will be.
7. Cut the Crackers: Use a sharp knife, pizza cutter, or cookie cutter to cut the dough into desired shapes (squares, rectangles, circles, etc.). Place the cut pieces onto the prepared baking sheet.
8. Optional Toppings: If desired, lightly brush the top of each cracker with water or egg wash and sprinkle with toppings like coarse sea salt, sesame seeds, or herbs.
9. Bake: Bake the crackers in the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Keep an eye on them, as they can quickly go from golden to burnt.
10. Cool and Store: Remove the crackers from the oven and let them cool completely on a wire rack. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container to maintain their crispiness.

Tips:

• Flavour Variations: Add dried herbs like rosemary or thyme to the dough for a flavorful twist.
• Cheese Crackers: Incorporate shredded cheese into the dough for cheesy crackers.
• Sweet Crackers: Add a bit more sugar and a touch of cinnamon to the dough for a sweet variation.

Nutritional Value

Crackers contain an extraordinary range of flours and lend themselves to addition of minerals and vitamins (Asp, 2004). Many are used as vehicles for iron fortification. The whole-wheat and rye crackers have very high mineral contents. A rye wafer is noted for its potassium, iron, copper, zinc and magnesium content. A whole-wheat cracker which is a cheese-filled sandwich can offer calcium, sodium and phosphorous.

The weakest in terms of mineral content are whole-wheat crackers which are poor in sodium, phosphorous and potassium hence the addition of the cheese filling. Rye wafers are low in calcium

Soda Crackers

In the USA, soda crackers(saltines or premium crackers) are preferred by those who do not have time for cream crackers. They are square and tend to be much smaller than cream crackers (Manley, 2001). These are made by the sponge and dough technique. The critical feature is the use of sodium bicarbonate which raises the pH and makes them higher than a cream cracker. The name ‘soda’ has stuck as a result.

Soda crackers are typically 4 mm thick and 50 × 50 mm square. The shortening content is 8–10%.  

References

Asp, E. (2004) Nutrition: Mineral Composition. In: Encyclopedia of Grain Science. pp. 340-348 (Article)  

Cauvain, S.P. (2016) Cookies, Biscuits and Crackers: Formulation, processing and Characteristics. References Module in Food Science (Article). 

Cauvain, S.P. (2017) Chapter 6 – Biscuits, Cookies, Crackers and Wafers. In: Baking Problems Solved (2nd edt.) pp. 299-329 (Article) 

Davidson, I. (2016) Chapter 1- The Biscuits. In: Biscuit Baking Technology (2nd edt.) Processing and Engineering Manual.  pp. 1-34 (Article)  

Manley, D. (2001) Recipes for hard doughs. In:  Biscuit, Cracker and Cookie recipes for the Food Industry. Elsevier.