Crackers and Semicrock: History and Innovation

Crackers were born in the United States of America.

Their invention is credited to a Massachusetts baker named Theodore, who in 1792 worked to create a new version of a hard biscuit, designed to be long-lasting for the nourishment of sailors and soldiers. Thus, he created biscuits made from water, salt, and flour, which he called Pearson's Pilot Bread.

These biscuits were very successful, although initially intended solely for the American Army. The credit for the widespread diffusion of crackers goes to Josiah Bent, also from Massachusetts, who in 1801 had the brilliant idea of baking the new biscuits in the oven, modifying the recipe to make them crunchy and crumbly, and was the first to call them "crackers."

The term "cracker" comes from the English verb "to crackle," meaning to crack or pop.

Bent began to sell his invention to consumers, and it proved unexpectedly successful, mainly because the product remained unchanged even after a long time. They were so successful that in 1810, Nabisco – the National Biscuit Company – started producing them in large quantities with widespread distribution across the United States.

Today, crackers are popular worldwide (in Italy, Pavesi was the first to introduce them to the national market) due to their crunchiness and lightness, available in many flavors and varieties. They have become the quintessential snack, perfect for satisfying small hunger cravings, loved by both adults and children alike.

The versatility of crackers also makes them a staple food to always keep in your kitchen pantry or backpack.

As previously mentioned, crackers get their name from a sound typical of English-speaking daily life. In fact, when first created, the savory biscuits were called "pilot-bread," but it wasn’t long before people started calling them crackers because chewing them produced a sound similar to the word "crack."

The traditional processing of crackers is long and somewhat complex, usually involving two leavening phases for a total of 24 hours.

Initially, a dough called “sponge” is prepared by mixing some of the recipe’s ingredients, including brewer's yeast, fats, and any additives.

This sponge is left to rest in a proofing chamber at controlled temperature and humidity. After leavening, the remaining ingredients are added to achieve a soft dough, which is again left to rest in the chamber for a second leavening.

Once the second rise is complete, the dough is processed to obtain the initial laminated dough, which is folded several times to create layers, then rolled out to the desired thickness using rollers or laminators.

Then the typical shape is stamped and cut before baking in a hot oven until the cracker comes out golden brown with a moisture content below 3%.

After baking, the industry breaks the crackers and packages them for sale through large-scale distribution.

The complexity and slowness of this process motivated us to study an alternative production method offering clear advantages while preserving the key features of traditional crackers.

This is how SEMICROCK was born – an innovative and revolutionary system for producing crackers, although in a slightly different shape than the traditional ones with their characteristic “holes” found on supermarket shelves.

SEMICROCK is a balanced line of cereal- and seed-based flours used to produce tasty crackers without yeast, fats, or kneading.

SEMICROCK is a highly versatile, well-assorted line designed to combine flavor with ease of preparation, allowing everyone from housewives to bakers and restaurateurs to optimize time and cost without compromising quality.

WANT TO DISCOVER THE FULL SEMICROCK LINE? CLICK HERE

Thanks to its specially designed composition, there’s no need to knead: just spread the mix evenly on a pre-moistened baking tray, spray more water on top, and bake for about 20 minutes to get crispy, fragrant, and tasty crackers with a delicious flavor.

Excellent for those following a low-carb diet, SEMICROCK is ideal for reducing carbohydrate intake without including fats or yeast in the composition.

We are talking about light and versatile crackers, perfect for appetizers, snacks, or as a bread substitute, with a choice of flavors. It’s a great opportunity for bakers and an excellent option for consumers, backed by the guarantee of a healthy, alternative product line to the industrial standard.