Cereal Chem 57:249 - 252.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
A Laboratory Method for Saltine Crackers.

A. Pizzinatto and R. C. Hoseney. Copyright 1980 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Results of a test baking procedure for saltine crackers showed that fermentation time of the sponge plays an important role in conditioning cracker doughs. Cracker doughs prepared from sponges fermented longer were found to machine better and to have more uniform oven spring and a better texture with fewer blisters and compact areas than did doughs fermented for short times. Replacing up to 30% soft wheat flour with hard wheat flour (HWF) improved machinability by mellowing the dough. Oven spring was improved by adding HWF, and the crackers' texture was also improved. In general, the weight of baked crackers decreased as HWF was increased up to 30%. Crackers obtained from straight HWF were of good quality, with an excellent oven spring but were heavier than crackers made from straight soft wheat flour. Crackers made from doughs in which the sponges were mellowed by addition of lactic acid had no oven spring at all and were completely different in texture and taste from normal crackers. These results clearly showed yeast to be a fundamental ingredient in crackers. Yeast not only adjusts pH to allow enzymatic conditioning of the dough but also improves both texture and flavor of the finished crackers.