Narrator: SODA CRACKERS
ARE ALSO CALLED SALTINES,
ORIGINALLY A BRAND NAME THAT
OVER TIME BECAME A GENERIC TERM.
YOU CAN EAT THEM PLAIN
OR SPREAD SOMETHING ON THEM
OR CRUMBLE THEM INTO SOUP.
DOCTORS EVEN RECOMMEND
EATING SODA CRACKERS
WHEN YOU'RE NAUSEOUS,
BECAUSE THEY'RE DRY
AND EASY TO DIGEST.
THEY'RE FLAT AND BUMPY
ON THE OUTSIDE,
WITH A TASTY TEXTURE
RESULTING FROM SOME INTERESTING
CHEMICAL REACTIONS.
WORKERS FIRST DUMP ICE
INTO A TROUGH
TO PREVENT THE DOUGH FROM
OVERHEATING DURING FERMENTATION.
THE FIRST INGREDIENT
IS A SPECIFIC AMOUNT
OF FINISHED DOUGH
TO KICK-START THE FERMENTATION
OF THIS NEW BATCH.
TO THAT, THEY ADD WATER,
WHEAT FLOUR, YEAST,
AND ENZYMES
TO HELP THE FERMENTATION.
A MIXER BLENDS THE INGREDIENTS
FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES.
THEY LET THE DOUGH SIT
FOR 16 HOURS
WHILE THE ENZYMES BREAK DOWN
THE STARCH AND THE WHEAT
INTO SIMPLE SUGARS.
THE YEAST THEN REACTS
WITH THOSE SUGARS,
PRODUCING CARBON-DIOXIDE GAS,
WHICH MAKES THE DOUGH RISE.
THEN THEY ADJUST
THE FERMENTED DOUGH'S pH LEVEL
WITH SODIUM BICARBONATE
TO PRODUCE THE RIGHT FLAVOR,
COLOR, AND SHELF LIFE.
THEN, FOR ADDITIONAL FLAVORING,
SOME SALT...
MALTED BARLEY FLOUR...
AND VEGETABLE OIL.
THEN THE MIXER REMIXES
THE DOUGH FOR ABOUT 5 MINUTES
TO BLEND IN
THESE NEW INGREDIENTS.
NOW THEY LET THE DOUGH FERMENT
FOR ANOTHER 6 HOURS.
THE SODIUM BICARBONATE
COUNTERACTS THE ACIDITY
THIS PRODUCES
AND RELAXES THE GLUTEN
SO THAT THE DOUGH
NOW BREAKS EASILY
WHEN STRETCHED --
THE PERFECT CONSISTENCY
FOR SODA CRACKERS.
A MACHINE THEN EXTRUDES
THE MASSIVE DOUGH
INTO A SHEET
THAT'S 2 INCHES THICK
AND FOLDS THE SHEET
OVER ITSELF 3 TIMES.
THIS FOLDING CREATES
THE LIGHT AND FLAKY LAYERS
INSIDE THE CRACKER.
THE DOUGH SHEET THEN GOES
THROUGH A SERIES OF ROLLERS
THAT REDUCE IT
TO ITS FINAL THICKNESS,
ABOUT A MILLIMETER.
A REVOLVING DIE
CUTS THE CRACKER SHAPES,
PERFORATIONS AND ALL.
THE LITTLE PINS PUNCTURE
THE DOUGH
AND PUSH IT FIRMLY
ONTO THE CONVEYOR BELT.
THIS KEEPS THE DOUGH
FROM DEFORMING
WHEN MOISTURE AND GASES ESCAPE
DURING THE BAKING PROCESS.
FROM THERE, THE SHEET PASSES
UNDER A SHOWER OF SALT.
THE SHEET
NOW TAKES A THREE-MINUTE TRIP
THROUGH A LONG OVEN WITH
DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE ZONES.
GAS FLAMES BAKE THE DOUGH
FROM ABOVE AND BELOW.
THE HEAT TRANSFORMS THE
SODIUM BICARBONATE IN THE DOUGH
INTO CARBON-DIOXIDE GAS,
WHICH THEN BREAKS THROUGH
AND ESCAPES.
THIS DRIVES OUT TRAPPED MOISTURE
AND FORMS BLISTERS
IN THE CRACKERS.
AS THE SHEET OF BAKED CRACKERS
EXITS THE OVEN,
A ROLLER BREAKS IT INTO ROWS.
THE ROWS THEN RUN FROM
ONE CONVEYOR BELT TO THE NEXT,
STACKING LIKE ROOF SHINGLES.
ALIGNMENT WHEELS
KEEP THEM STRAIGHT
UNTIL THE NEXT SET OF WHEELS
GENTLY BREAKS THE ROWS
INTO INDIVIDUAL CRACKERS.
EACH ROW MAKES ITS WAY
THROUGH A SERIES OF GATES
THAT GUIDE IT ONTO A TRACK
THAT LEADS
TO THE PACKAGING EQUIPMENT.
THE CRACKERS ARE UPRIGHT NOW,
AND THE MACHINE
BEGINS DIVIDING THEM
ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER
OF CRACKERS PER PACKAGE --
IN THIS CASE,
THOSE LITTLE 2-CRACKER PACKS
YOU OFTEN GET WITH SOUP.
THE CRACKER PAIRS ENTER
THE WRAPPING MACHINE,
WHICH SANDWICHES THEM BETWEEN
A SHEET OF PRINTED PLASTIC FILM.
A WHEEL THEN
SIMULTANEOUSLY SEALS
AND CUTS THE WRAPPER
BETWEEN EACH PAIR.
THIS ALL HAPPENS
AT AN ASTONISHING RATE
OF 525 PACKAGES PER MINUTE.
AND THAT'S THE WAY
THE CRACKER CRUMBLES.
