Baking & Snack - August 2016 - 92

BENCH TO OVEN

Consultation between
bakers and the machinery
manufacturer's technicians and engineers can
advance projects from
theoretical to practical.

vious factors, but lab equipment versus production equipment differences is a strong factor, especially mixing."
Getting the dough right is critical to the bench-tooven mission. "Dough development time will be different based on the size of the dough and the mixer used,"
said Jerome Davis, technical solutions analyst, Innovative
Bakery Resources. In the lab, the batch may be two to 20
lb, but the bakery will work with doughs of 500 to 1,200 lb.
Dough temperature will be impacted by dough size and
specific equipment used - planetary mixers vs. horizontal mixers and manual portioning vs. extrusion dividing.
"Different ingredient lots of things like flour, cracked
wheat and gluten could potentially change absorption
rates because there could be slight variations among
lots," Mr. Davis added. "Dough strengtheners may need
to be added or increased so the dough can handle the
extra abuse through the tougher dividing and processing
of bigger batches of dough."
Conditions within the bakery itself - its temperature,
humidity and airflow - can also differ from that of the
lab. "The climate situation in every bakery is different,"
noted Manuel Hobacher, head, customer demonstration
center and master baker, Koenig Bakery Systems. "This
has consequences on the dough temperature and resting
time. Some customers might underestimate the effect of
these surroundings on the dough quality."
The transition from prototype to store-ready product
can hit the skids at several points. Consider line
speed. Will the pilot line run at the same speed as the
production line? Ken Zvoncheck, director, Science &
Innovation Center, Reading Bakery Systems, explained
how faster speeds affect the time a dough sits on the
line. "This can produce a hydration challenge," he noted.
"Another involves pressure. Slower lines put less pressure

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92 Baking & Snack August 2016 / www.bakingandsnack.com

Laboratory work can support
development and consumer
testing, but when moving
to large-scale production,
many things change.
on the dough. At scale-up, the pressures become greater."
It's important that the development process take into account the difference between the lab and the production
facility, especially noting the bakery or snack plant's unique
aspects. "The lab setting isn't as challenging as the commercial setting," said Jay Freedman, product applications
specialist, The Rothwell GrainEssentials Center, Bay State
Milling Co. "In production, you're tied to the machinery
and the process flow. When a product moves from the lab
to production, you should be familiar with the idiosyncrasies of your facilities."
Only a few bakeries, he noted, have lab setups with
equipment that duplicates the production line. "That
may work for cookies, but not so much with bread,
where there's no good lab equivalent of a bun or bread
divider," Mr. Freedman observed.

Pilot training
What does the baker need to bring to an innovation center or pilot plant? Everything. "Bring the ingredients being used in the bakery or have your suppliers ship them
to us," Mr. Freedman said. "Bring the formula. Bring
process times and temperatures, too. Be prepared to provide a detailed description of the bakery process flow."
Mr. Davis expanded the list, noting pan size, dough
and finished product weights, slice count, approximate
mixing and baking times, formula limitations (organic,
kosher, health claims) and specific characterizing ingredients such as raisins, nuts and other inclusions.
Sometimes this includes shipping in the baker's local
water supply, according to John Giacoio, national sales
director, Rheon USA.
Bring the pans, too. "Actual baking pans are important
for proper heat penetration and product performance,"
said Eric Spelger, senior scientist, Corbion Caravan.
With equipment testing, complete specifications for
the baked product in question should include factors
such as quality, flavor, look and weight. "A very precise and detailed ingredient list is of great importance
as well: which ingredients can be used and which not,
as with clean-label foods, for example," Mr. Nagel
said. "It is important to implement the actual ingredi-

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