What are Saltines?
Saltines are dry leavened crackers with a relatively mild flavor. These bland crackers can be found for sale in most markets, and they have a number of culinary uses. People can also make saltines at home, assuming they have experience making breads. The term “saltine” was once trademarked by the Nabisco company, but it has become genericized over time, so the company lost its exclusive rights to the term. These crackers, also known as soda crackers, include flour, yeast, baking soda, and some form of shortening. Some styles are also sprinkled with coarse salt. The dough is coarse, dry, and not very greasy, thanks to a relatively light use of shortening, and it is typically allowed to rise for an extended period of time. After the dough has risen, it is rolled out, perforated to allow steam to escape, baked, cut, and packaged for sale. Most brands of saltines are perforated in such a way that the large individual crackers can be easily broken into several smaller chunks.
