Product development
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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