Suzanne Callander asked some providers of artisan breadmaking equipment for their thoughts and advice about technology solutions that can help bakeries achieve their artisan breadmaking goals.
Q: What equipment and technology solutions are available today to help artisan bread producers balance traditional artisan methods with modern production needs?
Marion Montillot, Equipment Product Manager at MECATHERM: Artisan bread production requires a careful balance between traditional techniques and modern production efficiency. The unique characteristics of artisan bread – such as highly hydrated dough, long resting times and specific ingredient compositions – requires the use of specific equipment to preserve the quality of the product throughout the production process.
For example, our M-NS divider is designed to ensure smooth handling of the dough without stretching. It can provide a gentle mechanical action on the dough to divide it into pieces without tearing it, preserving the intrinsic quality of the dough and the internal honeycomb structure. It can create pre-formed dough pieces suitable for a short moulding process.
The dough pieces are then processed in a moulder. MECATHERM offers a solution here that is able to reproduce the traditional hand movements of the baker. By keeping the dough pieces in constant motion, the moulder helps to achieve an artisan look and texture, characterised by a homogeneous honeycomb structure.
We can also offer the KATANA robotic scoring system which is also designed to preserve dough quality. This system includes a range of tools, such as ultrasonic blades and water jet, offering flexibility for scoring both low water and highly hydrated products.
Stefan Praller, Senior Director Customer Experience at FRITSCH: Modularity is key to enable flexibility in terms of producing a wide range of products. Depending on the project requirements, in terms of performance and the degree of automation, we can offer two different solutions in the artisan bread segment which have been developed to process soft doughs and to ensure gentle handling of the dough. With a capacity of up to 1.8 tons of dough per hour, the compact PROGRESSA bread line allows mid-sized retail bakers to produce a wide variety of bread products with precision in weight, while its SoftProcessing technology ensures gentle treatment of the dough throughout the process.
Product development is a core activity in our technology centre – the FRITSCH World of Bakery. Here we have recently developed two new artisanal products – a twisted bread roll and a rustic bread roll that we call ‘Krusti’. The twisted bread roll may look simple, but, traditionally, such products could only be produced by hand before we launched a new twisting unit which is able to produce twisted bread rolls reliably and in industrial quantities with a capacity of 60 strokes per minute and row. To make the Krusti possible, a large number of tests were undertaken and the result was the creation of a patented process that sees one dough piece folded over the other after the guillotine. The two pieces of dough are then folded in with the coiling mat, which gives the product its artisan look at the end.
Melanie Gay, Marketing Manager at VMI: The biggest challenge when scaling up artisan bread production is preserving the quality and unique characteristics of recipes while increasing volume and possibly transitioning from a manual to an automated process. Fortunately, there are ways that bakeries can achieve this.
One possible first step in scaling up production would be to simply upgrade to a larger mixer while keeping the process manual. Choosing a scalable solution from the start is key to ensuring a smooth transition as production needs grow. VMI – a technology brand of Coperion – can offer a range of equipment from small craft spiral mixers handling as little as 2kg up to large-scale spiral mixers that are capable of producing up to 550kg. The industrial-size mixers can function as standalone equipment or can be integrated into automated systems to increase production capacity.
The next step could be moving to a semi-automated system, incorporating multiple mixers, an elevator, and other equipment, to increase output while maintaining a manual process and staying as close as possible to the artisan process.
Finally, the ultimate step would be transitioning to a fully automated system. Today automated solutions are fully capable of handling even the most specific artisan bread recipes – ensuring consistency, quality, and efficiency. With an automated system, key steps in the production process, such as dosing, mixing, resting, and dough transfer, can all be automated to increase efficiency while maintaining artisan quality. Automated systems can use shuttles to move bowls through various production stages, helping to streamline the process. When using automated systems bakeries are able to choose the mixing technology – for example spiral mixers, fork mixers and planetary mixers – and line configuration that best suits their recipes and production needs. Automated systems can seamlessly integrate phases like autolysis and resting, which are essential for developing flavour and texture in artisan bread products.
I believe that automation can offer many advantages for artisan bakeries, including higher productivity, output uniformity, increased safety, and lower labour costs.
Arjan Eberwijn, Manager Business Development at Rademaker: Our goal is to support bakers in producing their artisan products as efficiently as possible. Challenges such as a shortage of skilled workers within the industry, environmental concerns, and product development also play a key role when it comes to finding the best solution.
To balance traditional artisan methods with modern production needs, the Radini bread line carefully handles pre-fermented dough and sheets it to the desired thickness. Throughout the process we make the best use of modern technology, incorporating sensors and controllers to minimise the need for operator intervention. The Dynamic Pre Sheeting system is able to handle a wide variety of dough types while ensuring gentle handling. Additionally, the entire sheeting process is designed to eliminate ‘fall heights’ – large drops that could cause excessive dough stretching.
Additional examples of technological solutions for artisan bread production include cutting tools that have been designed to cut and shape the dough while sealing the edges, helping to prevent sticking during later production stages. At the end of the production line, a tray loader ensures precise placement of the final product. The tray loader can be programmed to secure proper placement of the product.
Depending on the nature of the product, production can be fully automated or can combine manual and automated processes. This flexibility allows bakers to add creative touches, such as twisting, braiding, folding, or decorating – whether in-line during production or once the product is on the tray.
Q: What do you think are the most important production considerations for bakeries producing artisan bread?
Marion Montillot: It is important to remember that a premium product also requires premium quality ingredients, which means higher costs, so consistency within the production process is important to avoid high value product waste.
To meet the market demand, artisan bread producers need to manage the specific constraints of the dough. Artisan bread, for example, usually has a highly hydrated dough that can be difficult to divide and shape due to its stickiness. Our divider and the moulders for artisan bakeries have therefore been designed to limit flouring. This avoids over-flouring to ensure good colouration and a shiny and thin crust. The divider also limits oil consumption and does not produce any trim. Dough pieces that may be out of weight can also be reused at the mixing stage, helping to reduce waste.
Stefan Praller: Handling dough the right way can be a challenge. Every dough will have its very own set of rules, and so producing the finest baked goods at consistently high quality is an art in itself.
The trend towards breads made from soft doughs with pre-proofing times of up to 24 hours, and often a high rye content, poses major production challenges. To be able to produce as many different products as possible at consistently high quality, a production line has to be easy to retool, easy to clean, and ready to expand if necessary. For many lines, processing soft doughs requires adding greater amounts of separating agents like oil, for example, to be able to make the dough sheet as true to weight and shape as possible. However, increasing the amount of oil can have a negative impact on the final product. Also, the effort of cleaning increases, and so do downtimes when changing products. For this reason, FRITSCH suggests the use of a special dough sheeter for processing bread doughs which sees a system of fold-up belts flouring the dough sheet from all sides – which means there is no need to use oil at all.
Melanie Gay, Marketing Manager at VMI: I think that careful process management and food hygiene are key considerations for the successful production of artisan bread, a process which integrates liquid preferments and sourdough. Making artisan bread will, typically, require less processing when compared to the typical pre-packaged supermarket loaves. For this reason, bakers should be aiming for a highly hydrated dough with reduced mixing time. The addition of yeast and preferments increases the preparation phase of the dough and makes the mixing process more complex, so careful management of the mixing process is essential to successfully develop a good flavour and texture, as well as a lasting shelf life of the finished product.
VMI has worked to optimise the shape of its mixing tools and tanks, which are specific to premixing, kneading, and fermentation. We have ensured that there is very limited increase in dough temperature during mixing, and this is made possible thanks to the design and construction of tool shape, diameter and position inside the mixing bowl.
The biggest improvement in artisan bread product quality may not necessarily come from the mixing process itself, but rather from optimising the management of the overall production process. This could require the introduction of greater flexibility for dough transport – for example by using automated guided vehicles (AGVs) which can provide greater flexibility by reducing physical workloads and addressing recruitment challenges. Compared to automated shuttles, which are highly efficient but require a secured environment and offer less flexibility, AGVs provide a more adaptable solution.
Arjan Eberwijn: Producing artisan bread is not about a single key factor; it is the combination of all the elements that makes the difference and I believe that the key to producing artisan bread products is having an in-depth knowledge about the product as well as the production process. When transitioning from a traditional manual artisan process to an automated solution – typically involving higher volumes and faster speeds – modifications are necessary to adapt to the new way of working. At our experience centres, based in Chicago and the Netherlands, we have bakery technologists on hand to provide guidance on production processes and their impact on the final product.
There are also practical points that need to be taken into account. For example, when producing with a Radini bread line, a minimum dough batch needs to be considered. It typically requires batches of around 50kg of dough, yielding a specific number of products depending on factors such as weight, size, and shape.
Sponsored by Minebea Intec
Find out how recipe software can make your artisan bread production safer and more efficient
Picture the scene. The bakery production hall is filled with a concentrated atmosphere. All the raw materials for the upcoming order are ready. An employee takes a quick look at the screen – The exact quantities for the next batch have already been calculated. A targeted scan of the label of the first raw material immediately opens a clear weighing screen. The employee precisely batches the material until the colour changes on the screen to indicate that the target quantity has been reached. Thanks to the ProRecipe XT software solution from Minebea Intec, the entire process runs smoothly – from exact weighing of the ingredients to automatic documentation.
What used to be laboriously and error-prone task that had to be recorded on paper is now a digitally controlled, error-free process that saves time. “With ProRecipe XT, we enable bakeries not only to digitalise their production processes but also to make them significantly safer and more efficient,” explained Lars-Henrik Bierwirth, Global Product Manager at Minebea Intec. “Thanks to the complete traceability and precise control of all process parameters, we are setting new standards in production safety.”
ProRecipe XT software combines scales and software into a powerful unit to map manual dosing processes and fulfils the highest requirements for precision and process reliability. This benefits production companies with demanding recipes but also system integrators who want to expand their portfolio with a powerful recipe management system.
Efficiency and precision combined
ProRecipe XT ensures precise dosing and transparently documents all steps – from small batches to complex multi-component recipes. A typical application example is the production of baked goods, where numerous ingredients have to be processed in different quantities. Here, ProRecipe XT ensures that each ingredient is batched exactly and weighing errors are avoided. Thanks to the interface to existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, order and batch data can be transferred automatically. Once dosing is complete, ProRecipe XT returns the weighing data and consumption quantities directly. This saves time, minimises input errors and ensures an up-to-date stock overview at all times.
In the bakery industry – where costs often have to be calculated sensitively – ProRecipeXT scores points with its modular and attractively priced licensing concept. “Our solution is so flexibly scalable that both small and large companies benefit,” continued Lars-Henrik. “The user-friendliness and adaptability of ProRecipe XT make it the perfect choice for any production environment.”
Hardware and software interplay
One thing is crucial for the successful use of ProRecipe XT and that is the use of high-quality weighing solutions. Minebea Intec offers a broad portfolio of durable, highly accurate load cells, industrial scales and electronic weighing systems that can be seamlessly integrated into ProRecipe XT. The comprehensive services – from software and weighing solutions to commissioning and qualification – come from a single source. Where necessary, Minebea Intec provides support with individual adaptations in order to offer customised solutions for specific customer requirements – a holistic service approach that impresses.
The smooth interaction of hardware and software brings structure and precision to every process step, from batch recording to the complete documentation of all ingredients. Thanks to the intuitive operation of ProRecipe XT, users always have an overview, even with complex recipe processes and are guided through the process step by step. This creates a focussed working atmosphere in which the operator can concentrate fully on batching – while the software takes care of the rest.
