• Frozen and pre-baked bakery products are increasingly popular, as they offer a quick and convenient solution for large chain stores in the face of an increasingly acute labor shortage. However, in order to obtain quality products, it is important to use flours that offer good performance in the production process.
In general, the flours used in baking should be rich in gluten, which is the protein in flour that gives dough its elasticity and structure. Wheat flours are most often used for the products of panification, because they contain the most gluten. However, there are other types of flour, such as Rye flour, which can be used to obtain products with a distinct taste.
Key features
The key characteristics that flours used in the production of frozen and pre-baked bakery products must have are:
- High protein content – Flours with a high protein content are best for baked goods because the protein (gluten) is responsible for the structure and elasticity of the dough. A flour with a high protein content will ensure the optimal rise of the dough, which will have a uniform texture and consistency.
- Hydration capacity – Flours must have adequate hydration capacity so that they can be used to produce homogeneous doughs with a good gluten structure. Hydration capacity is at the same time an indicator that can help increase production efficiency, flours that absorb a lot of water allowing low production costs to be kept.
- Enzyme stability – Flours used in the production of bakery products must be enzymatically stable so that they can be stored and transported under appropriate conditions. Otherwise, the flour may degrade, leading to lower quality final products.
- Purity – Flours must be pure and free of foreign or contaminated substances that can affect the quality of the final products.
- Color – In the case of white flours, the color of the flour can be an indicator of its quality. In addition, in addition to the color corresponding to the ash content, it should have a fine texture.
- Taste and aroma – High-quality flours should have a fresh taste and aroma, without tasting rancid or spoiled. These characteristics can be affected by the storage and transport of the flour, as well as the time since harvest.
Flours with good performance in the production process
To get quality frozen and pre-baked bakery products, it is important to choose flour which provide good performance in the production process. Some manufacturers may use a combination of wheat and rye flour to achieve a distinctive taste and denser texture in their products. Others may choose to use oat or corn flour for healthier products.
Flours used in the production of frozen and pre-baked bakery products must be stored under appropriate conditions to ensure their quality and stability. Storing flour in a cool, dry place can help prevent contamination by insects or other impurities, as well as maintain consistent quality throughout its shelf life. It is also important to pay attention to the expiry dates of the flour to ensure it is used before it goes bad.
Some of the most popular frozen and pre-baked bakery products are kaisen buns, croissants, bread and cakes. These products are very popular all over the world and are available in a wide range of varieties and flavors.
SEVEN SPOKES, the main player on the milling products market in Romania, thanks to the technological investments made in recent years in all four mills, and through an extremely careful selection of the wheat used in the mill, offers manufacturers of frozen bakery and pastry products customized solutions , from very light flours, up to wholemeal flours and/or combinations of flours from several grains.
Predefined flours for frozen products include:
- Flour for frozen pastries, or pre-baked and frozen. This flour stands out for its special parameters, gluten >33, W>330, offering a constant stability of the dough throughout the processing;
- Flour 550 for frozen products - specially created for bakery products and frozen pastries - is a flour that gives strength to the dough and eliminates its cracking effect when subjected to thermal shock. The superior parameters of this flour allow its use including for making frozen French puff pastry;
- Flour for pie sheets - recommended for making frozen Dobrogen puffs (like rolled pies with various fillings) - is a flour characterized by parameters that allow obtaining a relaxed, particularly extensible dough, specific to very fine puffs.
In conclusion, frozen and pre-baked bakery products are very popular today and require the use of special types of high-quality flour, which are properly treated and stored to ensure the quality of the final products.
Manufacturers must pay special attention to the choice of flour, production technology and manufacturing process in order to provide consumers with good and reliable bakery products.
Article edited by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
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