Shelf-Stable Cracker with Wheat Endosperm Surface Dusting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional crackers lack the fresh, bready taste and texture of traditional breads due to low moisture content and require significant adaptations in ingredients for shelf stability, limiting their resemblance to bread products.
Innovation Solution
A shelf-stable cracker or snack product is developed with a body comprising at least 60% wheat flour, 5-22% fat, and 0.7-7% leavening agent, and a surface dusting of wheat endosperm particles, which enhances bread-like flavor and texture without using significant amounts of added starch, allowing for a crumb structure reminiscent of ciabatta bread.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional bread recipes are adapted for commercial production with low moisture content, then shelf stability is improved, but the bread-like flavour and texture are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by dusting the surface of the cracker with wheat endosperm particles, creating a localized region with bread-like characteristics while maintaining the low moisture content and shelf stability of the cracker body. This surface treatment provides the sensory experience of fresh bread without compromising the shelf stability achieved through low moisture content.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses composite materials by combining wheat endosperm particles with the cracker surface. The wheat endosperm particles contain proteins and starches that provide bread-like flavour and texture characteristics, while the cracker base maintains low moisture for shelf stability. This composite structure allows both requirements to coexist.
2Ease of manufacture
If significant amounts of added starch are used to enhance cohesiveness and crisp texture, then manufacturing performance is improved, but the product loses resemblance to traditional bread
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts only the essential component needed for bread-like characteristics - wheat endosperm particles - and applies it as a surface dusting rather than incorporating large amounts of starch into the dough. This approach provides the desired effect while minimizing the addition of non-traditional ingredients.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the form and application method of starch - instead of adding significant amounts of added starch to the dough, it uses wheat endosperm particles as a surface treatment. This parameter change allows the product to achieve crisp texture and bread-like appearance without fundamentally altering the dough composition.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If a laborious process of kneading and fermenting is used, then traditional bread organoleptic properties are achieved, but production time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies preliminary action by pre-processing the wheat into endosperm particles that can be directly applied to the cracker surface. This eliminates the need for extensive kneading and fermenting processes required to develop gluten structure and bread-like characteristics, significantly reducing production time while maintaining the desired organoleptic properties.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical and biological processes of kneading and fermenting with a simpler surface dusting operation. Instead of using mechanical energy for extended kneading and biological fermentation over time, the invention applies pre-processed wheat endosperm particles directly to the cracker surface, achieving similar sensory results with minimal processing time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The product retains texture and flavor for extended periods, up to 26 weeks, while maintaining a bread-like aroma and crumb characteristics, offering improved organoleptic properties and shelf stability compared to traditional crackers.
Implementation Method 1
a surface dusting, on at least one surface of the body, of a particulate material, the particulate material comprising at least 30% by weight of wheat endosperm particles
Implementation Method 2
Some types of cracker and many types of bread require a fermentation step in which a cellular structure is generated by the fermentation process, the cells being enclosed by the gluten network
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2~3a
Figure 3b
AI summary
A baked shelf-stable cracker or snack product comprising a) a body comprising at least 60% by weight wheat flour, from 5 to 22 % by weight fat, 0.7 to 7 % by weight leavening agent and up to 5 % by weight water, in each case based on the total weight of said body; and b) a surface dusting, on at least one surface of the body, of a particulate material, the particulate material comprising at least 30% by weight, based on the total weight of the particulate material, of wheat endosperm particles. The surface dusting is present on the product in an amount of at least 0.5% > by weight, based on the total product weight. Also provided is a process of making the cracker or snack product.