Buns, rolls, bagels: Tradition and innovation (part II

Tradition meets innovation (part II)

Traditional techniques and products shape specialized equipment for the industrial production of buns, rolls, and bagels. These production lines are designed with the flexibility to provide answers to manufacturing challenges old and new. At the same time, they pay respect to tradition and reliably support up-and-coming trends and new product innovation.

+Bagels: challenges and answers In industrial bagel manufacturing, the biggest challenge is fitting the production line in the available space while meeting individual recipe and process demands. Due to space constraints, certain modules can be considered optional, while others are highly recommended when customizing a line to specific requirements. François Retailleau, product manager at Mecatherm, points out some variations in production lines: “Retarding is a typical process step in bagel production (after proofing), in which the dough gains its aromas and consistency. It also allows a better fixing of the humidity for the boiling and steaming steps. However, every manufacturer has its own recipe and process and some of them don’t retard the products at all”. Another example comes after the fermentation step: “To bring the products to room temperature, some manufacturers use a warming unit before boiling and baking,” Retailleau adds. One of the process challenges for bagels is that they tend to stick in the oven after boiling, which is why the surface of the product is dried just before baking. Artisan bakers typically place a row of bagels at the oven’s infeed to dry them on one side, then they would flip them upside down so the dry side stands on the oven hearth during baking. When converted into industrial-scale production, dryers are sometimes compared to the use of release agents inside the oven. “We prefer drying because it replicates the authentic process,” Alex Kuperman, CEO of ABI LTD., explains. The MECABAGEL line addresses several challenges inherent to the baking process (detailed in part I). Generally, bagels will bake best using conduction heat from the bottom of the product at the beginning of the process. Radiation is the most frequently used technology for bagels; however, if convection is added, the baking process may typically be faster, depending on the product, due to a more efficient heat transfer to the product. Humidity control in the oven chamber is also very important, so the bagel gets and keeps its shiny look, which is made possible by the boiling process.

The equipment is designed for efficiency in the MECABAGEL line, from labor efficiency to that of the various components. For example, the oven follows the correct baking curve while providing efficient heat exchange and the airflow in the proofers is optimized to avoid stagnation. One of the challenges of designing this line to replace conventional methods is ensuring that the equipment is simple, consistent, and robust. More importantly, it needs to work automatically and to be able to adjust to a production environment with a variable production capacity and workflow.

Freezing

Depending on the distribution circuit and the manufacturer’s requirements, the MECABAGEL line can also be equipped with a cooling and freezing solution. Typical market solutions are spiral coolers and spiral freezers. Retailleau highlights, “For the design of the MECABAGEL, we wanted to go a step further and included a solution for cooling on grills, which are placed in a modular cooler.” The handling systems used are similar to those used in the proofer. There are two benefits of this solution; one is efficiency-related as it provides additional capacity (‘buffer’) that, under normal conditions, is not utilized. The extra space, a small circuit for the cooling trays, is designed to be equivalent to the oven’s contents. In the case of issues down the line (i.e., in the packaging stage), the products will not be wasted. Secondly, it is designed to help control hygiene easily. This is critical for the cooling phase, as any bacteria coming in contact with the surface of the products during this phase can be a potential risk of mold development. The modular cooling system has a dedicated conveying circuit so that it can be easily enclosed into a clean air area. Moreover, cooling grills are retention-free and easy to wash in a washing machine after every production cycle. For safety reasons, operators are required to be on-site when working with the line. However, remote work and monitoring are under development wherever possible.

Automation

Smart ingredient systems can help dispense ingredients accurately. Mixing bowl changes can also be automated and the divider is completely self-sufficient. Operator intervention is required for changeovers to ensure the line’s product flexibility. Software solutions are also continuously improved to help manage the different SKUs and automate processes that can benefit from automation. Tracking products along the line and having the ability to adjust settings automatically as much as possible are among the newest innovations. At the same time, R&D will improve the OEE and provide operators with additional tools. Helping production planners find the best manufacturing sequence is also a priority for further improvements and a big step towards efficiency efforts. Efficiency is a large factor in packing automation. Here is where MECBAGEL’S robotic systems provide the tools to solving several problems industrial bakeries face. ABI has been developing these solutions in recent years. The packaging process is mostly automated, but product flow distribution can be optimized. Each product is correctly assigned to its packaging line and distributed there in the correct configuration so it can be processed. “This is where vision equipment and robotics will play a big part, as well as automated quality control,” Kuperman explains. This will also vastly contribute to packaging flexibility, especially when packaging a mix of different types of bagels.

Buns: scaling up

Consistency is a defining challenge when manufacturers step up from artisan to automated production, consistency in dough quality and texture, processing, and bun quality. For bakeries scaling up, process organization is paramount to achieve high-quality buns consistently, Koenig recommends - from mixing to dough make-up, proofing, forming, baking, up to cooling, freezing and packaging. Space limitations are often a downside in such a project. High-performance, flexible lines normally need a certain amount of space. However, customization can help make the most out of the available space. They also allow bakeries to produce most of their buns on just one line. “Koenig has reacted to customer requests by making a highly flexible building block system for the proofers. Customers give their building specifications to the Koenig design department and they build the proofers around their space requirements,” Wolfgang Staufer, Koenig’s CEO highlights. In recent years, Koenig has built proofers with small footprints into the next building floors, above the bread line, under a roof, and even

© Minipan

© ABI-Mecatherm

downwards into basements. The newly-launched KGV EC line can also come in various working widths and can deliver up to 46,800 pieces per hour in a 1,200mm working width and 12-row operation (additional details are available in the first part of this article, featured in the second issue of baking+biscuit international). To minimize waste, dough dividing and rounding machines, such as the Industrie Rex AW dough divider and rounder included in the KGV EC roll line, feature high weight accuracy and gentle dough handling while precisely forming the dough pieces. “We have customers who save tons of flour every week because the dough divider and rounders are so weight-accurate that there are almost no over- or underweight dough pieces and hardly any dough is wasted,” Koenig’s CEO shares.

Supporting trends

Production line flexibility is increasingly in demand, to fit as many different products as possible on one line. Variety has recently been bringing artisan-style products into the spotlight. Millennials and Gen Z are shaping all consumer trends, including in bakery. For buns and rolls, they seek the high quality associated with artisan-made products. “Our customers are telling us more and more that they want to work with yeast less and more with sourdough,” Staufer shares Koenig’s experience. Bakeries are also leaning toward ancient grains, which give the bread a great natural flavor. “This also means high-nutrient, fresh-baked breads and rolls, glazed brioche hamburger buns or slider rolls, pretzel rolls are also very popular at the moment,” he details. The modular KGV system, including the Easy Clean, makes product combination possibilities almost unlimited. KGV lines with stamping stations for Kaiser rolls, cut rolls, and similar products are among the frequent requests Koenig receives. The industrial construction kit includes modules such as a stamping station, a rounding drum (for second rounding after proofing, e.g. for German ‘rose’ rolls), a forming station, a convoluting station for pretzels, a donut station, a seeding unit, or a setting unit for batch setting (e.g. pull-apart buns). The MECABAGEL line can support many types of doughs that industrial bakeries may work with. From the very dense Montreal bagel, which has less than 45% water absorption, to hybrid products that have similar characteristics to pastries, bakeries can manufacture a variety of products. Different flavors and toppings (sesame and poppy being the popular choices) also add to the possible variety of products that can be made. “What we see appearing are hybrid products, like baguette bagels, or brioche bagels – products that are made with doughs that are normally associated with completely different products, but are shaped into bagels. New products are entering the market in this way, by combining two different types for unusual pairings,” Retailleau details.

Rolls: respect for tradition

Historically, industrial bread production has required traditional production methods and recipes to be simplified, with volume manufacturing being the main goal. Quality is beginning to reign over quantity as consumers’ tastes shift to healthier products, with the right flavor and an artisan look and feel. “For producers to follow these mindset changes, respect for ancient and traditional recipes is required, for the methods and the baking culture itself,” underlines Franco Fusari, Minipan co-owner and sales director. To meet these requirements, each Minipan line is designed around customer needs and requests, their recipes, and desired processes. Based on the baker’s product portfolio, Minipan defines the specifications and the features that the line needs, which can be anything from its length and width to the specifications of the molding, and rounding tools. “Minipan has reestablished the focus on the recipes, with a deep understanding of the artisan methods and the value brought to the bread,” Fusari explains. Efficiency is also designed into the company’s line. Its proprietary Scrap Free technology helps maintain waste to a minimum, for example. It helps generate the sheet of dough in the desired thickness and width, removing the need for cutting any lateral dough surplus and any ensuing waste. The cost of managing the scrap and the scrap itself is also effectively eliminated. Minipan observes growing interest for organic, high-end products, similar in shape but very different in quality from old-school commodity bread rolls. “Certainly, these changing habits drive big players to develop appealing, artisan products that are industrially made. Here, at Minipan, we are continuously striving to push the limits of what can be made with an automated line,” Fusari concludes. +++