• Flour mixes can be an answer to the recent challenges of bakers to help consumers increase their intake of protein and fiber and more.
Some mixes can increase the nutritional intake of the product, others may be suitable for consumers following special diets, while others are a way to break conventional barriers by obtaining novel products.
Flour mixes are ready-to-use dry mixes made from flour and functional ingredients such as yeasts, starches, and flavors. Other ingredients are often added to help reduce calories or provide additional nutrients such as protein, fiber and carbohydrates. Their purpose is to make the work of the baker or pastry chef easier by providing the ready-mixed basic ingredients for his recipes.
There are two types of mixtures. The first mix is ready to use and contains all the elements necessary for the preparation of bakery products, except for water, yeast and salt that the baker must add during kneading.
The other type is called premix or concentrate and is used in an amount between 10% and 50% of the dough mix. It contains only a little basic flour and is mostly made up of functional ingredients. Therefore, the baker must complete a premix with flour and then add water, salt and yeast to the kneading.
A range of mixed mixes
Raw material companies are meeting the market and the demands of the modern consumer by developing various flour mixes that are lower in calories, higher in fiber, lower in saturated fat and have a longer shelf life.
This has created mixes that increase profitability in production, while keeping bakery products fresh, with a cleaner label, and improved nutritional profile and quality.
Data from a study conducted by KeyTomorrow shows that 39% of consumers check the nutrition labels of bakery products for fat content. But in general, lower-fat baked goods are expected to taste different.
Taste Tomorrow researchers demonstrated through a sensory study that participants were unable to differentiate between two types of cinnamon rolls, one with a reduced fat content. This was achieved by using the revolutionary ingredient Intense Puraslim developed by Puratos, a product to help manufacturers reduce fat and costs without changing the consumer experience of these delicious pastries.
Superior nutrition - great taste
The leading mix in improving the nutritional profile of baked goods is an all-natural mix of grains and seeds that add to all types of bread recipes with important health benefits, but without compromising on the taste of the finished product, but, on the contrary, it also brings new valences in terms of its aroma.
Company OFI, specializing in the supply of ingredients characterized by traceability and sustainability, has created a range of protein powders and flours from nuts that allow bakers and pastry chefs to enhance the nutritional advantages of bakery products with the help of almonds and cashews.
With increasing consumer demand for healthier, gluten-free and nutrient-dense snacks, nut flour can be added to products without compromising flavor, texture or taste sensation, providing a source of monounsaturated fatty acids, minerals, protein and fiber.
At the same time, they offer low-carb alternatives, without OMG and gluten-free for the formulation of bakery products. Furthermore, a nut flour can be used on its own or in combination with grain flour, allowing bakers to create a wide variety of finished products for different diets and expectations.
Nut flour - unique benefits in use
For example, combining wheat flour with a nut flour or a nut protein powder makes it possible to obtain dough-based products with a high protein content in products such as bread and pizza. This introduces the additional nutritional benefits of nut flour without compromising the elasticity of conventional dough.
Almond protein powder contains 35-41 g of protein per 100 g of product, while cashew protein powder contains 25-30 g. This is a significant value compared to the average protein content of wheat flour, which is 10-14g per 100g. In addition, each nut protein powder offers unique benefits in use.
Almond protein powder provides excellent moisture retention, creating a balanced taste sensation without the dry, chalky texture that is often associated with many gluten-free baked goods. Its neutral taste also means it does not require masking agents or flavorings, which helps qualify it as "clean label".
On the other hand, cashew protein powder with an extra-fine grind gives a fine texture to cookies and cakes, something that is difficult to reproduce with other ingredients for gluten-free products.
Mixes for vegan products and special diets
Over the years, ADM, one of the world's largest ingredient companies, has developed a wide range of flour mixes and premixes that address varied diets.
Cake mix Vegan Farmhouse Cake Mix, launched by it, for example, only requires the addition of water. This mix can be used to create a wide range of cakes and muffins for those who adopt a vegan eating style. Dates and nuts, cherries or raisins can be added to the mixture for variety. By adding just water, cinnamon and grated carrot, the mixture can be used to make the popular vegan carrot cake.
Another mix dedicated to special diets is Luxury Eggless Sponge Cake Mix, which offers the same benefits of a regular cake mix, but without the allergenic egg, which can cause health problems for children and adults with digestive problems. The mixture produces a dough with a light and even texture.
Varied tastes in line with market trends
Bakels, a New Zealand ingredient manufacturer, has created mixes and concentrates that address other dietary needs, such as Low Glycemic Index (GI) Bread Concentrate Multiseed Bread Concentrate. This premix was developed to enable any baker to offer consumers who are carb-conscious (for medical or lifestyle reasons) a healthy and tasty alternative. It contains a combination of wheat flour, rye flour, sunflower seeds, flax seeds and pumpkin seeds, which, together with wheat bran and oat flakes, produce a special bread with a dense texture and a nutty flavor. Since this mix is a concentrate, only flour, yeast and water are added to produce a variety of baked goods.
Products using the premix Multiseed Bread Concentrate are certified in the Low Glycemic Index (GI) category according to tests performed by the leading GI testing company from Oxford Brookes University, UK. Being low GI, the bread in Multiseed Bread Concentrate slowly releases sugar into the blood, ensuring a constant supply of energy and sustaining the feeling of satiety for a longer time.
Easy access to nutritional information
In the age when access to various information is extremely easy, the consumer accumulates an impressive body of knowledge regarding nutrition, while at the same time diversifying his tastes in accordance with market trends.
Flour mixes and premixes, regardless of what ingredients they are made from, make the work of bakers and pastry chefs easier, shifting the pressure for innovation and the development of new ingredients to the area of raw material manufacturers and large nutrition research companies. From this collaboration, designed to respond more quickly to the ever-evolving demands of the market, the winner is certainly the end consumer.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor of Arta Albă
Read on White Art and: Special flours for frozen and pre-baked bakery products
