Proofing is a vital component to the quality of every bakery product and is a key step in industrial baking production lines. From the first proof to intermediate to the final proof, proofing provides the dough the environment needed to rise the appropriate amount in order to be ready for the next stage of the process. Industrial baking proofers provide a range of options to meet the needs of a variety of products and process.
Proofing Objectives Proofing ovens create a controlled environment to allow a dough product to rise the specified amount. This is mainly achieved through the combination of heat and humidity. However, the challenge is to provide air circulation, consistent heat, and humidity throughout the proofer without any lost costs of operation. Humidity can be achieved through several methods, including with cold water atomizers using compressed air. Maintaining a consistent temperature throughout the proofer is important and can be assisted with air movement in the proofer facilitated by high-efficiency fans. The throughput of a proofer and its cleaning requirements determine how much product can be created over time by an industrial bakery with that piece of equipment. For some bakery operations, proofing can be accelerated by proofing sheets of dough instead of individual units. First Proof Industrial first proofers provide bulk fermentation for an entire batch of dough. The first proof is done before the dough is cut or shaped, and provides additional flexibility and control of the baking process and resulting product. Important characteristics of a first proofer include selecting the right type of infeed system, which is determined by the type and quality of dough your production line produces. Intermediate and Final Proof Intermediate and final proofs are not the same. The former gives yeast-risen dough the opportunity to rest and recover from the deformation of dividing and rounding, while the latter promotes leavening to bring the product to its ideal volume for baking. This means that intermediate proofers can actually operate at ambient temperature and humidity, as long as it will not cause dough surfaces to dry. Like first proofers, final proofers must be temperature and humidity controlled to create the precise conditions for a reliable final product. Artisan Capital Partners tailors solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. The modern and advanced industrial bakery looks much different from its early predecessors There have been many technological advancements that have led to increased production capacity, lower operating costs, and expanded markets. One of these innovations that has become a staple of bread, pastries, and flat dough is industrial dough sheeting equipment.
What is dough sheeting? Dough sheeting first came to market from Rademaker in the 1970s and has matured in the decades since and continues to progress. Dough sheeting is a process that creates a continuous, consistent layer of dough that can be accurately manipulated by the make-up line. The dough sheet is made by feeding dough blocks onto a conveyor belt that forces the dough in between two rollers. There may be a sequence of rollers or the dough may be fed through the rollers multiple times, which all result in a sheet of dough with constant thickness and characteristics. What are the advantages of dough sheeting? Dough sheeting provides several advantages over other dough preparation methods. The process of rolling the dough not only creates a consistent thickness but can also laminate layers together, for example in puff pastry, and reliably provide gluten network development. With these features, dough sheeting provides consistency to both the shape and internal structure of the dough. Another major benefit of dough sheeting is that it can produce a high volume of dough with accuracy. This minimizes production errors and waste and can improve reliability in the final product. Improvements in dough sheeting technology Newer dough sheeting technology incorporates more sensors and automation than previous generations. For example, the roller gap that determines the size of the dough sheet and how much the dough itself is worked is fully automated in some designs, resulting in extremely high precision in meeting the prescribed dough sheet characteristics. This keeps the dough at a constant thickness and improves the uniformity of the products. In the Fritsch Rollfix 600, their innovative roller gap continuously measures the dough sheet width and adjusts the roller gap until the final width is reached. Another benefit of automation is the ability to optimize production rates while minimizing errors. The Rollfix 600 can reach a sheeting speed of 56 m/min, handling dough blocks up to 15 kg. Together, this automation benefits bakeries with faster operation and improved efficiency. About Artisan Capital Partners: Artisan Capital Partners tailors bakery solutions and services designed to create liquidity from industrial bakery assets while consistently managing transaction risk. Artisan Capital Partners helps bakeries manage assessing equipment, dismantling, and transportation, as well as design, installation, and testing to provide bakeries with a liquidity event that meets their goals. |
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