Who doesn’t like tasty, crunchy and aromatic crackers? They are spoiled both by children, whose teeth have not yet been cut, and the elderly, who have tried all sorts of culinary delights over their long century. Rusks are not just dried bread, this is a dish that can have a completely different appearance and taste. They are fresh and sweet, salty and spicy. They are eaten with tea, beer or just like that, that is, as a snack.
Many types of crackers are sold through retail chains, but why buy products containing a huge variety of flavor enhancers and preservatives, if you can make them yourself? But (in order for the dainty to turn out really tasty) you need to know a few secrets of its preparation. At what temperature do crackers dry? It is important to be able to choose the right bread and keep the product the right amount of time in the oven, but first things first.
What bread can be used for crackers?
Almost any bakery product is suitable for preparing this dish . But it depends on which base product is selected at what temperature the crackers are dried, how long they are kept in the oven and whether additional ingredients are used in the process of creating the snack. For different varieties of bread should choose different parameters. So, at what temperature crackers are dried:
- from pastry - 200 degrees;
- white bread and loaf - 160-170 degrees;
- gray or black bread - 180 degrees;
- crackers with spices - 200 degrees.
In order to get a sweet product at the exit, you need to take rich baking as the basis. It can be a loaf, a wicker bun, and even an Easter cake left after the holiday. Also, often the mistresses themselves bake oblong buns from pastry, and then make crackers out of them. Such products are best eaten with tea, in addition, this is a wonderful dietary product that can be consumed even in case of disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, because they do not irritate the intestinal mucosa and are easily absorbed by the body.
White bread is suitable for making crackers, which are added to various dishes - salads and soups. But gray and dark varieties are usually dried for making snacks. The main rule when choosing bread is to buy those species that have a higher crumb density. The structure of bread greatly affects the temperature at which crackers are dried. If the roll is very porous and airy, do not heat the oven much - it will be enough to set the regulator to 150-160 degrees, and reduce the cooking time to 5-7 minutes.
In which oven is it better to dry crackers?
For this purpose, you can use any household appliances. At the same time, rusks are made not only in gas or electric ovens, but also in a slow cooker, microwave, in a pan, and even in the open air. But nevertheless, the traditional “oven” makes them the most “correct” (moderately fragile and odorless). Drying in it is also more convenient because several baking sheets with bread can be installed at once in the chamber. This speeds up the cooking process and makes it possible to save money on utility bills.
Note that there is no fundamental difference in where to make crackers - in the gas or in the electric oven. At what temperature to dry crackers, we have already said, but these were data for traditional ovens, in a slow cooker this dish is prepared a little differently.
This device is usually made crackers with spices, herbs or garlic, with the addition of a small amount of vegetable oil. Drying a lot of bread at a time in a slow cooker will not work. Small square or rectangular slices are sprinkled with salt and spices, sprayed with oil and evenly laid out on the bottom of the bowl. For cooking, you need to select the “Baking” mode and set the timer for 20 minutes. Then crackers turn over and bake another 20 minutes.
Cooking time
It is important to know not only at what temperature to dry crackers in the oven, but also how long it takes. On average, the drying time for white bread does not exceed 10-15 minutes, pieces of gray or black loaves need to be “warmed up” for a little longer - up to 20 minutes. This time difference is due to the fact that wheat flour buns are usually lighter and more airy (compared with rye).
Snack crackers with spices are cooked "at a time." That is, bread slices are sent to the oven for 10-15 minutes and served hot on the table. So the dish turns out more delicious, fragrant and crispy. However, the drying time may vary depending on the size of the pieces and their thickness - the more they are, the longer you need to keep the product in the oven. After the fifth minute of cooking, crackers should be monitored especially carefully, removed when they have a light golden crust.
The technology for the production of rusks
But sweet crackers need to be dried in two stages. First, the bread slices are browned in a hot oven (200 degrees) for about 5 minutes, then they are brought to condition, reducing the temperature to 150 degrees. There is one more trick, thanks to which crackers turn out to be very tasty - you need to sprinkle slices of bread before drying from a spray bottle with a solution of hot water (one glass), sugar (four tablespoons) and vanilla sugar (one bag).
Garlic or Spice Crackers
Spicy crackers are not so much dried in the oven as they are fried, because vegetable oil is used to prepare them. For this purpose, you can use unrefined sunflower or olive. So that the cubes or sticks do not crumble much during slicing, it is important to choose the right bread. Rusk will turn out smooth and strong, if you make it from yesterday, that is, a slightly stale loaf.
You can roll the bread slices in different sauces before sending them to the oven:
- water + salt + vegetable oil;
- olive oil + garlic;
- olive oil + provencal herbs;
- butter + grated hard cheese + salt + garlic.
It is better not to cook such crackers for the future, but to eat right after cooking, because they quickly damp without a sealed package.
Secrets of making homemade crackers
- The most important thing is to put the bread in the already preheated oven, otherwise the snack will turn out to be solid inside.
- Crackers are best dried not just on a baking sheet, but on parchment paper.
- For salads, it is better to take toaster bread, a sauce for roasting crackers can be made not only from olive or sunflower oil, but also from cream - so the taste will be more delicate.
- So that all the finished crackers turned out to be brittle and not very hard, it is better to cut the crust from the bread before cutting the cubes.
- If you pour bread cubes into a dense plastic bag, and then add the sauce there and thoroughly shake everything together, the crackers will be soaked in the dressing evenly.
We hope that our recommendations will help you prepare delicious snacks. Bon Appetit!