Ernst Böcker: Why sourdough plays a decisive role

THE CHALLENGE AND SUCCESSES OF AUTOMATION Why sourdough plays a decisive role

+Automation – everyone has heard of it and many have already partially or fully automated their production. Reasons for automation and conversions in operation are the many advantages that automated processes bring. They can have a cost-saving effect, achieve higher throughput while reducing scrap rates, and ensure safety and stability in the quality of the product. Nevertheless, there are also some issues to consider that can prove challenging. Limiting factors in automation include the feasibility of technical requirements and the smooth running of linear processes, which depend on non-linear processes.

Technical challenges

Regarding the technical requirements of automated processes, a lot has happened in the last years. Especially due to the development of new equipment, much more is possible today in terms of automation than was the case a few years ago. In the past, doughs with a maximum dough yield of 170 were considered suitable for machines because they were otherwise too sticky for processing. Nowadays, with the appropriate equipment, it is possible to process a dough yield

Ernst Böcker GmbH & Co. KG

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of over 180, as we know it, for example, from “handmade” doughs such as ciabatta or baguette. But how does the subject of sourdough fit into automated processes?

BÖCKER – the sourdough specialist recommends using mild sourdough in wheat baked goods. This improves the quality of baked goods by guaranteeing, depending on the choice of sourdough, a mildly sour, fruity flavor and, in any case, improved crumb elasticity and sliceability of the breads, as well as longer freshness. [1] In the case of an already (fully) automated plant, the addition of sourdough to the recipe then turns the process planning upside down from scratch – if the sourdough itself is fermented! As a solution, BÖCKER offers inactive ready-to-use sourdoughs. These products are available in liquid and powder form and can be added directly to the dough. Especially in the case of long-life baked goods, the use of ready-to-use products is a safe method to improve the quality of the baked goods. By inactivating the sourdough, post-souring of the dough is prevented.

Sourdough fermentation and the cold trick

Many companies ferment their sourdoughs themselves with the use of appropriate starter cultures and thus achieve good quality. Now here comes into play the second limiting factor for which a solution is needed. A major problem in the automation of sourdough fermentation is the dependence of the linear process of bakery production on the logarithm of sourdough fermentation, i.e. the ever faster increasing amount of acid in the fermentation.

Let's imagine the processes of dough preparation to the finished pastry: First, the ingredients must be weighed, then the dough must be made, divided and formed into the appropriate pastry. Not to forget the resting periods in a defined atmosphere. This is followed by baking and then either cooling or freezing, and finally packaging. This process contains a large number of steps, each of which can lead to delays in production due to a wide variety of causes. If the sourdough is now fermented automatically with a precisely defined time frame and such a time delay occurs, this is extremely unfavorable for the sourdough. It is essential that the fermentation time is adhered to under constant conditions in order to maintain and ensure good quality. The sourdough would have to be discarded and restarted, and the entire production would have to wait for a new sourdough batch. The delays that could occur would be economically unsustainable. Bakeries have faced exactly this problem in the past. The solution that was then found seems so simple: cooling! By cooling down the finished sourdough, fermentation is slowed down and thus the dependence of bakery production on sourdough production. In this way, the entire process has become more flexible and the risk of a production standstill has been minimized.

The attached figure shows the separation of the processes by cooling. When looking at the figure, however, it is important to note that such a process depends on many factors and can only be shown here in a very condensed form. Nevertheless, it clearly shows that cooling is the solution for more time buffer.

Sourdough = flexibility

Another way to react flexibly in baked goods production with regard to sourdough is to expand the use of sourdough in baked goods. As already mentioned, in the wheat sector the quality of baked goods can be significantly improved by

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using sourdough, whether cakes, pastries or breads. The more products in which sourdough is used, the more fallback options and further utilization options for the sourdough arise in the event of a delay, and the more flexibly it can be reacted to. To ensure that the end result is a product of consistent quality, however, a number of things must be taken into account right at the start of automation. Especially when it comes to maintaining the fermentation parameters, automated production can simplify fermentation and its monitoring by means of appropriate measurement and control technology. The basic prerequisite for this is that, when introducing an automated sourdough fermentation system, all important parameters, such as fermentation time, temperature or use of the starter quantity, are taken into account and set accordingly. After all, not all sourdough is the same. Depending on the use of the starter products, different management conditions apply, and depending on the function the sourdough is to assume in the product, different conditions apply again. For example, a sourdough that is to be used for yeast-free baking cannot be managed in the same way as one that is only to lower the pH value and bring aroma into the bread.

We at BÖCKER are happy to help with the implementation of the projects described and, as sourdough specialists, are available to provide advice. Ultimately, the more baked goods are produced with sourdough, the easier the automation. Our plea is anyway: something fermented belongs in every dough!

About Ernst BÖCKER GmbH & Co. KG

At BÖCKER, the specialist for sourdough, everything has revolved around sourdough since the company was founded in 1910. In the fourth generation owner-managed family business, high-quality sourdough products are fermented and shipped worldwide. BÖCKER has been shaping industrial sourdough production for more than 110 years with continuous innovation as an opinion leader and sound knowledge carrier. BÖCKER stands for sourdough in all facets and variations. Thus, the wide range of products includes starters for industrial sourdoughs, dried sourdoughs in concentrated form, liquid and ready-to-use sourdoughs for direct use, sourdough pastes with embedded ingredients (e.g. fresh sprouts or grains) active sourdoughs as well as gluten-free sourdoughs and baking mixes. The company developed these products at an early stage, thus giving birth to the generic term sourdough products, which the baking industry uses as a matter of course. The innovative strength of the company's founder has been preserved to this day and is the driving force behind the company's entrepreneurial activities; thus, many patents line the path of success of the familyowned company. In the course of the company's history, BÖCKER has launched more than 160 sourdough products on the market – from special sourdoughs and customized product solutions to ready-baked gluten-free baked goods. With its gluten-free ready-baked baked goods, BÖCKER offers artisan products for all those who want to eat without gluten, other allergens and vegan.

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References 1] Arendt et.al., 2007, Galle et.al., 2013

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