Why is dough hydration important?
Often ignored in the baking process, the hydration of the dough is an important parameter, which is reflected both in the way the finished product is perceived by consumers, and in defining the producer's profit margin.
Most often, bakers try to adapt the recipe to the poor quality of the flours used, sacrificing the final hydration of the dough by adding a small amount of water. It is true that sometimes they are also limited by the lack of modern production equipment, without which obtaining and processing hydrated doughs is very difficult.
Making a comparison with the existing bakery products on the more developed Western European markets, it is easy to see that in countries such as the Czech Republic, Germany or even Poland, bakery products obtained from doughs with high hydration enjoy increased popularity, having a share important in the total number of products on the market. Thus, the existence of a close connection between the perception of a bakery product as being of quality and the increased hydration of the dough from which it is obtained is confirmed once again.
Innovative solutions to increase hydration
In 2012, during the EUROPAIN Paris exhibition, the Italian manufacturer of dough mixing systems - SIGMA attracted attention by exhibiting an equipment with notable results in increasing dough hydration called IDROMIX. The innovative approach and outstanding results of the equipment exposed to the tests carried out would be rewarded by the organizers by awarding the "INNOVATIONS" trophy.
What is IDROMIX?
IDROMIX represents a concept developed within the Sigma company, which allows optimizing the hydration of flour in the first phase of mixing with water, favoring close cohesion between solid and liquid particles. It is able to strengthen the hydration of the different components of the flour, improving the total absorption of water and accelerating the mixing phase.
Thanks to the forced spraying, the flour particles are uniformly covered with a thin layer of water that hydrates them efficiently and quickly, thus reducing the oxidation of the gluten network. The malleability of the dough improves significantly, and its texture is finer, its leavening being optimized due to a better dispersion of the yeast in the dough.
IDROMIX allows it to be mixed together with water and other ingredients dispersed on a liquid basis, so that they are distributed evenly in the dough. In this way, an intensified effect is obtained, which reduces the dosage of improvers and, in certain cases, the resting times of the kneaded dough.
In the mixing chamber, solid and liquid particles combine and are instantly pushed into the mixer bowl. The resulting product is a premixed dough, which directly allows the start of kneading in the second phase (speed), which is necessary to obtain the gluten network.
What the tests say
Scientific tests, carried out by a prestigious Italian University, indicate an increase in water absorption in doughs of over 2,5%. Practical tests carried out in bakeries, in the presence of qualified technologists in the field, demonstrated an increase in water absorption from 3 to 5%. It should be mentioned that the device was also tested in factories in Romania, and the expectations were confirmed.
The increase in hydration is not the only advantage obtained, since, by introducing a premixed product into the extractable tub of a regular mixer, the mixing intervals are reduced, eliminating the first speed altogether and shortening the time of the second. This means that, using the IDROMIX, 8/10 kneadings can be done per hour, effectively doubling productivity.
The manufacturer also considered the sanitation of the device, equipping the IDROMIX with an integrated washing system, with a special program to be executed at the end of each shift, and the mixing chamber is easy and quick to detach, to allow easy cleaning of all components. In addition, the flour is introduced into the mixing chamber through a hermetic pipe, with filter ventilation, exiting the mixer tank in the form of a premix and thus producing no powder dispersion in the environment.
What is IDROMIX composed of?
From a structural point of view, the IDROMIX consists of: a vertical cylinder, the upper part of which supports a high-speed rotating shaft, a central chamber, where the flour and air are pushed, and a lower mixing chamber. In the mixing chamber, a turbine equipped with inclined blades rotates, which, due to its shape, produces a suction flow of water and flour.
This downward flow is surrounded by at least 8/12 spray nozzles that inject water or other liquids at high pressure. By means of a PLC, the system provides the required characteristics, in an automatic and precise form. The operator will only have to enter the amount of dough required, the percentage of water and the temperature at which he wants to obtain the dough.
The supplied quantity differs depending on the percentage of water, reaching up to 3.000 kg/h of premixed dough. It should be mentioned that along with flour, other powdered ingredients can be mixed with water, ensuring their uniform distribution in the dough.
Dough processing with high hydration
If obtaining a dough with superior hydration is a challenge, processing it is not an easy task either, assuming the existence of equipment with special characteristics, capable of handling sticky doughs. Going along this line, the Japanese manufacturer RHEON proposes a gravimetric divider, which can process soft doughs with even 100% hydration. Benefiting from a "stress free" dividing system, the dough keeps its gluten structure and can then be easily shaped.
Already present in bakeries in Romania, the divider has demonstrated that technology and tradition can be successfully interwoven, and improving hydration does nothing but bring more flavor and freshness to traditional recipes and a higher profit margin for the producer.
In addition to the technological solutions that can process doughs with high hydration, we will also point out the ovens, which must be distinguished by a high released caloric power, designed to ensure the rapid development of the product, in the shortest time from the initiation of the baking process.
Here it is worth mentioning the solutions of the Czech manufacturer KORNFEIL, which, through oil-heated ovens, already present in several modern bakeries in the country, provide the necessary energy input for the optimal development of products obtained from soft doughs.
If we also add the fact that the same manufacturer offers solutions for automating the loading and unloading of products in the oven, we conclude that, at this time, there are complete technological solutions for doughs with high hydration, both for units that want to produce artisanally, and for those who do it industrially.
