The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

How to make crackers extra crunchy?

Maryrcx's picture
Maryrcx

How to make crackers extra crunchy?

People with experience baking crackers

I was wondering if you had any ideas about ingredients or techniques that make crackers extra crispy and crunchy.

Danni3ll3's picture
Danni3ll3

I like crackers super crunchy so I bake them at 350F with the convection fan on until they are nicely browned. This is always longer than the recipe states. Convection mode also helps remove the water from the crackers. 

Yippee's picture
Yippee

50ish%, and a good formula will guarantee good results.

David R's picture
David R

Using ammonium bicarbonate ("bakers' ammonia") instead of baking soda can help - if it's even sold anymore.

It's no good in a cake, but for crackers and thin crispy cookies it apparently makes a positive difference.

wally's picture
wally

It’s available on Amazon. German bakers use this quite a bit to give their cookies extra crunch.

Yippee's picture
Yippee

Hi, Larry,

What % should we use in the dough? Thx.

Yippee

 

wally's picture
wally

Same percentage as baking powder. It’s a one-to-one substitution.

David R's picture
David R

Do you treat it the same way as baking soda (which needs some source of acid in the recipe, either added or inherent in the main ingredients) - or does it work alone, like baking powder does? [If you make a naturally-alkaline recipe and you add baking soda without acid, you get no leavening action, and your finished product tastes like baking soda.]

I've never used bakers' ammonia, just knew it existed and was good for this purpose.

Yippee's picture
Yippee

❓❓❓Thx.

Yippee

David R's picture
David R

I think "follow the recipe you already have" is a safe assumption. There isn't one absolute answer that's perfect for all cases. No need to reinvent the wheel.

Yippee's picture
Yippee

the recipe doesn't call for baking powder? Can I just add some to make my crackers more crunchy? Then I'll need to know what % to use.

Yippee

David R's picture
David R

I wouldn't use any leavening agent in a recipe that didn't even call for one. If your current cracker recipe has no baking soda, no baking powder, and no other leavening agent, I say carry on making it the same way. Try a new recipe if you like - there are lots of them. There are so many good cracker recipes out there - trying to modify your current recipe to be a whole different kind than it was intended to be, is likely a waste of time. The problem is already solved, many times over - no need to work hard solving it over again.

It's a lot like "How do I modify my house to turn it into a lumber mill?" - technically you could do it, but it would be easier and cheaper to build a lumber mill next door and leave your house as it is.

BethJ's picture
BethJ

Can I jump in here (even though I'm a month late)?

When the crackers are done baking, turn off the oven and open the door, but leave the crackers in there until the oven cools.  Monitor carefully - if the oven is too hot it will burn the crackers.  In this case, just remove them initially and reinsert once the oven temp comes down a bit.

Works also to make granola crunchy.