Bakers and snack producers are searching for the master key to unlock the doors to the cracker and broader baked snacks markets.

From a textural experience, savory lavash, sourdough artisanal and other thin, crispy flatbread crackers are regularly appearing on ever-popular charcuterie boards to liven up parties and other special occasions.

Likewise, flavor bombs ranging from sriracha and hot honey to Asian, Latin American and other bold international spices are firing up the categories.

However, it can be tricky to transform staid products into innovative ones, especially in today’s environment.

“We’re seeing growing consumer demands for hot and spicy flavors, sodium reduction, natural ingredients and increasing flavor varieties that challenge the capability of existing seasoning application solutions,” said Tim Nanney, technical sales manager, North America sales, Heat and Control. “In addition, operational challenges such as labor shortages, operator turnover, allergen concerns and changing market regulations require seasoning application systems to evolve.”

Likewise, the burgeoning health and wellness movement is thriving with a greater array of baked snacks that contain no GMOs, additives or preservatives and feature organic, clean label, gluten-free, vegan, specialty proteins and other nutritional benefits.

“The increasing demand for better-for-you (BFY) snacks is driven by increasing health awareness and dietary preferences,” noted Stefan Praller, senior director, customer experience, Fritsch, a Multivac Group company. “Consumers are looking more and more for snacks that contain less sugar, fat and calories while being rich in natural ingredients.”

In general, baked snacks and crackers are considered healthier options as opposed to cookies or fried products, observed James Outram, senior applications technologist for Bühler’s biscuit business unit. He said that the company’s product innovation center is developing more wholesome products made with whole grains, seeds, rice, nuts and more to accommodate well-informed shoppers.

“All producers must be aware that the ingredient labels on products are being read and studied by consumers,” he pointed out.

The good news is that many of these new, non-traditional proteins and other ingredients can usually be incorporated into nutritious and flavorful baked snack doughs with some product development work, said Ken Zvoncheck, director, process technology, Reading Bakery Systems (RBS).

“Additionally, if desired by the customer, these doughs can then also be optimized to produce finished products with surfaces that can hold maximum amounts of post-bake seasonings,” he said.

Typically, the end justifies the means when it comes to scaling up from product development to the production line. However, the process may differ depending on the type of equipment used.

“With any cracker or flatbread process, it always starts with the finished good and the equipment manufacturers work backwards from there,” said Nick Magistrelli, vice president of sales, Rademaker USA.

 “The defining product characteristics are what drive the overall process and the equipment configurations,” he added. “From a sheeting line and makeup table perspective, it is important to know what the cell structure and final thickness of the product will be along with all the shapes and sizes to be produced on the line. Oftentimes, there are toppings that go onto or into the product. Knowing all of this is very important when designing the system.”

Outram noted that tolerance levels are more restrictive when making thin, wholesome crackers. These products require a homogenous mix to properly hydrate the dough. Testing will determine the dough’s proper water percentage and whether adding enzymes will improve its general machinability by reducing stickiness, improving elasticity and decreasing the resistance to deformation.   

“Next, the weight accuracy is particularly demanding for thin products as any variation will result in products with an uneven bake,” he said.

For accurate sheeting, Outram added, Bühler uses final gauge rolls that are 400 mm in diameter and specially constructed from chilled cast iron to minimize deflection under load or the sagging of the sheet due to the weight of the dough. 

“Healthier products tend to use specialty starches and have low-fat content, so a combination of water chilling and independent drives on the gauge rolls helps prevent dough sticking to gauge rolls,” he observed.

John Price, sales director for Sponer Vicars, a Middleby Bakery company, recommended using a cut sheet laminator with three, gauge rollers that can produce a sheet that’s less than 0.5-mm thick for making thin and crispy crackers.

Another option involves using a four-roll sheeter to create a consistent dough sheet by passing it through a series of 400-mm gauge rollers before traveling to a twin rotary cutter followed by docking, cutting and embossing for all shapes and sizes.

Zvoncheck cautioned that bakers must be careful to avoid damaging gluten during the sheeting process.

“If too few gauge reduction stations are chosen for a production line to produce these products, this may result in fragility of the final product and increased breakage,” he observed. “Also, improper gauging of the dough sheet can result in these same issues. The goal should be a ratio between a 2.0 to 3.0 across all reductions for optimum results. This seems like a simple setup, but surprisingly, I go into plants regularly where this is not being done correctly.”

Zvoncheck added lamination is typically not needed to produce thin, crispy crackers and flatbread. Three-roll sheeters are preferred over the traditional four-roll lines because the former work the dough less due to a smaller overall pressure pocket. Together, these two processes also provide cost savings when purchasing a new line.

Praller mentioned that Fritsch’s SoftProcessing approach with the satellite head as its centerpiece gently sheets the dough for thin crackers and flatbreads. After cross-rolling the dough, the number of calibrating heads depends on the final thickness of the dough to gently roll the sheet to its final thickness. The line then cuts or punches out dough pieces with a guillotine just like it does for conventional crackers.

Manufacturers don’t need a locksmith to crack the code in the cracker and baked snack market. Rather, the key involves incorporating the latest advances in technology into an already proven process. 

This article is an excerpt from the February 2025 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Cracker & Baked Snack Processing, click here.