AU TO M AT I O N
The magic under the crust The trend for artisan quality brings forth a wealth of delightful, premium breads and baguettes, with texture and flavor characteristics nothing short of magic. It takes exact science and technology to perfect the process, however. Dedicated lines preserve the tradition of the technique with increased process efficiency.
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The ingredients and the process combined make a baguette ‘premium’. It all starts with highly hydrated, fermented dough, to ensure the development of strong aromas. The dough is then molded and baked, either on trays or on the hearth, for an even more ‘artisan’ look. Scoring also contributes to this look, as well as various seeds or flour toppings, which will not only make the breads look premium, but will also add to their taste and texture experience. The baking process is responsible for perfecting the open honeycomb structure of the crumb and the crust thickness, both sought-after characteristics in premium breads and baguettes. We looked into how these product and process requirements are transferred to the equipment and what optimizations could be possible with MECATHERM, the French specialist who designs equipment and production lines for breads, pastry and patisserie products. For premium breads and baguettes product ranges, the company has designed several type of equipment, entirely automated, from the divider down to freezing on trays. Marie Laisne, Marketing manager and Oven product Manager, François Retailleau, Production line Manager, and Mélanie Salvi, Equipment manager, provide a walkthrough of the premium bread line, process by process.
Automated process, artisan quality The quality of the end product relies on several key steps, dividing and molding dough being among them. It is a delicate process: “Indeed, dividing the dough without stressing nor stretching is key in premium bread and baguette production,” they underline. The new-generation
www.bakingbiscuit.com 02/2022
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M-NS divider from MECATHERM is particularly adapted to the highly hydrated dough of premium breads and baguettes. Its slow movement and smooth mechanical action allow the internal structure of the dough to be preserved. Next up, the molding process has to be gentle, without strong mechanical actions, the specialists recommend, to create the open honeycomb structure of the crumb. The settings of the baking process itself also play a leading role in developing the quality of the final products. For example, “Baking is responsible for the coloration, shine, the aspect of the scoring made on the product’s surface, the crust thickness, crumb structure and water content,” MECATHERM’s team illustrates. Moreover, the baking support will determine the crumb development: a product baked on the hearth will have a different crumb structure than a product baked on trays. A typical premium bread or baguette production line comprises units for: + Mixing, typically with resting times (autolysis, bowl resting); + Make-up, with no-stretch and no-stress technology; + Molding, with solutions that mimic the baker’s hand gestures; + Proofing, which can sometimes be complemented by a retarding step in a colder ambiance; + Scoring with an automated tool adapted to highly hydrated doughs such as ultrasonic blades or water jets. + Baking, with several technologies available; + Cooling and freezing steps, according to the process; + Packaging The line can be customized with additional functions; out of the possible options, units for seeding and flouring are the most frequently included, the specialists show, as they
