Crackers are a healthy and perfect homemade snack for children’s breaks. The recipe is simple, and these tasty snacks can be stored for several days in a tin box. They are the ideal accompaniment for cold cuts and cheeses during your delicious aperitifs.
Indice
Origins of the crackers:
The origin of crackers dates back to the early 19th century in Milton (Massachusetts, USA), when Josiah Bent invented them as a substitute for bread. These biscuits had a long shelf life and were suitable for feeding sailors embarking on long journeys. Crackers can be prepared with additional ingredients (tomato, cheese) or without added fats; in the latter case, they are called “table water crackers.”
Fun Facts:
The characteristic holes on the surface of crackers are called “docking holes,” and they serve the specific purpose of limiting the formation of air bubbles during baking, preventing the final product from being too crumbly and fragile.
A cracker is a dry, thin, crispy, and savory biscuit that has evolved from military hardtack and ancient sailors’ diets. In 1801, Josiah Bent began his bakery business selling “water biscuits,” made from flour and water, which didn’t spoil during long sea voyages from Boston ports. There was a certain crackling sound during baking, hence the name “cracker.”
Preparation Time: About 45 minutes
Baking Time: About 30-40 minutes
Fermentation Time: About 2 hours and 30 minutes
Tools: Rolling pin or pasta machine, dough docker, pastry wheel, scale, parchment paper, pastry brush, graduated pitcher
Ingredients:
- 800 g èViva soft wheat flour type “0” Pizza;
- 400 g èViva soft wheat flour type “0” Frolla;
- 600 g water (50% of the flour weight)
- 12 g fresh brewer’s yeast;
- 48 g extra virgin olive oil OLIO PIANO;
- 24 g fine sea salt;
- Coarse salt, various seeds, oil for brushing as needed.
Procedure for the crackers:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, brewer’s yeast, and mix at low speed with the dough hook to blend and oxygenate the ingredients well.
Add about 550 g of water in small doses, making sure to mix the dough well. Gradually drizzle in the oil, allowing it to be fully absorbed by the dough.
Finally, add the salt and the remaining 50 g of water, and mix until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to a transparent, preferably square container, lightly greased, and let rest for about 2 hours, covered with a plastic cloth. Shape the dough into a rectangle.
Using a rolling pin or pasta machine, roll the dough out to a thickness of 2 mm. Using a pastry wheel, cut the dough into rectangles.
Place the rectangles on a lightly greased baking sheet or one lined with parchment paper or perforated trays, brush with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with coarse salt and/or sesame seeds or mixed seeds.
Bake at 200 degrees Celsius (392 degrees Fahrenheit) in a convection oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until golden brown.
Allow the crackers to cool completely before tasting, as they will become crispier and achieve the right texture as they cool.
Recipe by Master Nico Carlucci
Technical Demonstrator, Consultant, and Trainer in Bread Making and Baking Arts
