Product developement

Baking Transformations: Product development

The amount and type of heat which is required to bake a dough piece is different from the beginning towards the end of its baking process. Usually a great amount of heat is required at the beginning in order to obtain the lifting effect; once the dough piece structure is set, then a drying effect takes place, and the amount of heat required is more “gentle”.

Vital for consistency is also a consistent size and shape of the product, to ensure a proper heat penetration. Variation in shape and size can cause defect therefore. Every product has therefore its specific:

-          temperature profile

-          heat transfer profile

-          humidity profile

As mentioned before baking consists of roughly 3 Phases, however certain processes might start in one Phase and finish in another:

1.       Product Development

a.       Heating up of the dough piece and oven belt

b.       Dough rise by CO₂ bubbles, air expansion and water expansion/sublimation

c.       Melting of Fat

d.       Increase of enzyme activity

e.       Swelling of starches

2.       Product Stabilization

3.       Product drying

Product determination

During this first product development phase the size and shape of the product will be determined as the product will start to flow a bit and will spread if it is not contained in mould. Smaller products will also reach the maximum activity and potentially inactivation of enzymes.

In regular wheat based products we even might start with starch gelatinisation, depending on sugar content and shape and weight of the product.

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