Baking & Snack - December 2017 - 67

EQUIPMENT
Flatbread Technology

With the right processing tools, bakers achieve the dough reduction
and strength necessary to turn out authentic-looking flatbreads.
by Charlotte Atchley

As the world continues to shrink and the US population diversifies, bakery products from around
the world have made inroads into the mainstream
American diet. Croissants are an unassuming breakfast sandwich carrier. Tortillas are as pervasive as a
loaf of bread. Flatbreads from the Mediterranean,
Middle East and Asia are seeing an opportunity to
achieve staple-status.
"Flatbreads in general are gaining popularity also due
to the still growing demand for convenience foods," said
Henk Hoppenbrouwers, sales director, Tromp Group.
The flatbread category includes a wide variety of products, including innovative sandwich thins. And though
sandwich thins initially spurred growth for this segment, ethnic flatbreads are picking up that baton. "The
flatbread category as a whole has remained popular even
after the initial trend of 'thins' has somewhat stabilized,"
said Eric Riggle, president, Rademaker USA. "What
we see now is a growth in wraps: flatbreads that can be
wrapped around a filling and put on a sandwich press.
The key being a stable product that can be wrapped and
not fall apart."
Instilling that kind of flexibility and strength into
these breads remains one of the goals of commercial
processing. The dough also must be sheeted very thin,
which comes with its own challenges that must be addressed on the equipment. Additionally, consumers expect flatbreads such as lavash, naan and pita to have a
handmade appearance. As these breads gain popularity

and increased demand pushes bakers to automate their Creating a tension-less
process, this handmade appearance will need to be rep- dough sheet can assist
in creating an authenticlicated by machines.
looking flatbread.
Koenig Bakery Systems

Issues with thin
The most identifying feature of flatbreads is the obvious fact that they are flat. It's in the name. That characteristic is typically achieved by sheeting the dough,
sometimes to less than 1 mm. Reducing these doughs,
often dry and with higher gluten content, can be tough
on the sheeters.
"One of the processing challenges to thin products
is always that, the thinner you go, the more deflection
you can see in the sheeting process, which results in possible thickness variations," Mr. Riggle said. "When you
are typically sheeting products at less than 1 mm, any
deflection or deviation in the sheeting process can result
in unwanted weight variation."
Rademaker addresses this issue with larger rollers that
can reach up to a 16-in. diameter and are made from
solid stainless steel. The sheeters also can adjust the gap
to compensate for these forces and improve weight accuracies, Mr. Riggle explained.
Another strategy to accommodate these doughs is to
sheet in multiple steps with different kinds of sheeters,
relieving each station in the production line from being overwhelmed. "You can't rely on the sheeting
equipment to do too much," said David Moline, sales
and marketing manager, Moline Machinery. "It's criti-

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