Cream Cracker Biscuit

Daryna, I will prepare a description of the equipment / process and some recipes and send shortly.

Iain Davidson

Hello Daryna

Some ideas and questions you might want to check. I'd be glad if you could provide more info on questions below. 

Do you use sponge and dough or all-in method? Is your mixing time and final sponge temperature adequate? Are you using fresh yeast and/or enzymes? Are you respecting fermentation time (or laytime in case of enzymes), temperature and %RH? Do you have a fermentation chamber? Does your line have a layer forming unit (laminator)? Are you using dust between the dough layers? What are the ingredients in the dust powder? Is there enough fat in dust? Some use a little bit of ammonium bicarbonate as dust ingredient. Is there enough fat in the dust (not oil)?  Are you using proportion 2 : 1 (or up to 2,5 : 1,0)as reduction ratio in gauging rolls? Try providing more heat and/or increase extraction in 2 first zones.

Regards

Jose

 Hello Jose,

We already tested both methods: sponge and dough and all-in methods. They differ only in taste and aroma. The taste of yeast is pronounced in the "sponge and dough" method. That`s why we decided use all-in method. 

Mixing time for dough is 13 min, dough temperature is 36-38 C.

We are using dry yeast and proteinase.

Fermentation time - 1,5 h, temperature in an efermentation chamber - 35-36 C, RH - 80-90%.

Our line has a layer forming unit.

Yes, we used dust between the dough layers. There is our recipe:

Flour -22%; native corn starch - 60%, Hydrogenated Vegetable Fat - 15%, Salt - 2%, Ammonium bicarbonate - 1%.

Our line has 4 couple of gauging rolls, reduction ratio is 2:1.

Baking time - 4,5 min. Our oven has 5 zones, temperature profile is: 1) 230 C; 2)260 C; 3) 250 C; 4) 210 C; 190 C.

Daryna

Daryna,

The following is a description of cream cracker process from the book 'Biscuit, Cookie and Cracker Process and Recipes' published by Elsevier.

CREAM CRACKERS

Product specification

(1) (2)

Dimensions: 68 x 66 mm    66 x 66 mm

Thickness: 6.4 mm               6.3 mm

Weight: 7.7g                         8.3g

Appearance: Evenly blistered

Colour: Pale cream or darker biscuit colour with dark blisters

Texture: Open and flaky, with a crisp bite

Flavour: Mild flavour

Moisture: 1.5 - 2.5%

Ingredient list from pack:

Wheat flour, palm oil, salt, sodium bicarbonate, yeast.

Recipe 1

Dough Mixing on a Horizontal High Speed Mixer

1. Make a suspension of the yeast and water at 32^oC
2. In the mixer bowl, add the fat, sugar, malt, salt and remaining water
3. Mix on slow speed for 2 minutes
4. Add flour and sodium bicarbonate
5. Mix on slow speed for 3 minutes and then on high speed until the dough is clear
6. Transfer the dough to a tub and prove for 4 hours at 32^oC and an RH of 70-80%
   
   Finished dough temperature 29^oC – 30^oC pH 5.8 – 6.2
   
   Preparation of the fat/flour for dusting
   
   The fat should be in a plastic state at 20^oC or less. Care should be taken to avoid oiling when mixing with the flour.
   
   Mix for 10-20 minutes depending on the temperature of the mixing room.
   
   After mixing, sieve the mixture and store at 2 – 3^oC for 24 hours before use
   
   
   Lamination
   
   6 laminations with the fat/flour mixture between the laminations
   
   Add 18kg of fat/flour dusting to 100kg of dough
   
   
   Baking
   
   Direct Gas Fired oven. Traditionally cream cracker was baked on an open 5 x 5 mesh oven band. Now it is usual to bake on a Z47 type band.
   
   Baking time: 3.5 – 4 minutes
   
   Baking profile: 300 / 290 / 270 / 270 / 270^oC
   
   Final moisture content: 1.5 – 2.5

The open cracker structure is established in the first third of the baking process. This requires radiant heat (Direct Gas Fired oven) and band pre-heat. No convection. 

Dear Daryna, thank you for your reply.

Everything seems ok to me, except for the mixing time and maybe the fermentation time. When fresh yest is used, fermentation time may be 4 to 16 hours, for All-in method. But I am not sure if 1,0 hour is enough time for the fresh yeast to act, even when using protease or a specific enzyme. There is a way to reduce the fermentation time by increasing the work done on dough during mixing, but it is not very usual. I would suspect that you are mixing your dough for too long (altough I have already seen c.cracker dough at the temperature you mentioned). Are you using 3-axis mixer or horizontal high speed mixer? For the latter, total mixing time (cream + dough stages) is usually 5- 6 minutes, enough to achieve the desired dough temperature described above, and develop the gluten. Also, check if you are forming at least 4, up to 7 layers in laminator. 

Regards,

Jose

Hi Daryna,

I agree with Jose that you are prObably mixing too long. Generally a fermented cracker dough shouldn’t be mixed excessively, we used to mix the dough after the flour addition until it formed “Chunks” so about 3 or 4 minutes. The dough is further worked during the lamination stage so excessive mixing isn’t required and may result in shrinkage and hardness.

Dear Jose,

we are using dry instant yest. That`s why we thought that 1,5 h fermentation time - it is enough.

We are using horizontal high speed mixer. And we are forming 6 layers on the laminator.              Thank you for your reccomendation about mixing time, we will try it. What is should be the optimal dough temperature after such a short mixing time?

Kind regards,

Daryna