Improving loaf quality in plant bakeries

A consistent improvement in loaf quality, with no increase in cost, is the key advantage of a new dough moulding table launched by Baker Perkins. The PerfectPan table developed for the Multitex4 moulder also incorporates features that cut changeover time and waste between product runs, and reduce stoppages. The new table will contribute to improved quality in high-output plant bakeries by ensuring that dough is always evenly distributed and accurately placed in the tin, improving both internal and external appearance of the loaf. The new table ensures that dough pieces are perfectly aligned and accurately positioned in the tin enabling panning efficiencies in the region of 98% - 99% to be consistently achieved. This is made possible by simple, repeatable calibrated adjustments that allow optimum conditions to be achieved first time, every time. Lengthy set-up and constant fine tuning by highly experienced operators are eliminated and costly start-up waste is effectively eradicated. The PerfectPan table utilises the inherently stable cut-through process for four-piecing which maintains panning efficiency even if the condition of the dough changes. This removes the need for operators to constantly monitor and adjust the machine in order to maintain optimum performance. The drive to minimise time lost switching to a new variety or size of loaf is common to bakers throughout the world as consumers demand greater variety, and portfolios are extended to utilise diverse flours, toppings and inclusions. In the UK, the importance of a rapid change is heightened by the recent ending of the historical restriction on bread weights to multiples of 400g. The PerfectPan table easily achieves rapid changeover with repeatable, calibrated adjustments and two interchangeable processing attachments after the moulding board. Even the most complicated change, from single piece to 4-piece production, is achieved in only a few seconds. The processing attachments are easily removed and replaced for additional products such as long loaves or 6-piecing Other features include a spring-loaded moulding board allowing doubles to pass through without causing stoppages. The spring loading is done in such a way that the board is always parallel to the table, ensuring dough pieces are always cylindrical and of consistent shape and size. Maintenance is also made easier with new features including a low maintenance drum motor and a 15 minutes belt change, compared with at least two hours on previous generation machines. The PerfectPan table enhances the well-proven quality benefits of the Multitex4 sheeting head. This head has, uniquely, four pairs of sheeting rollers. This arrangement improves end product quality by controlling size, shape and length-to-width ratio of the dough sheet before coiling. It allows tighter coiling, with more coils, whilst at the same time significantly reducing stress to the dough through a more progressive thickness reduction. The four-roll concept typically increases volume and cell counts by around 10%, and there is an improved crumb structure. These benefits translate into a strong, straight-sided shape, up to 18% softer and with a finer, more even texture. White bread looks cleaner and whiter. The PerfectPan table adds to these quality improvements by allowing the dough to prove evenly in the tin, enhancing the appearance of both the finished loaf and the individual slices. The upgraded Multitex4 is the latest in a series of improvements to Baker Perkins bread mixing and forming machinery designed to offer bakers improved product quality and process control. The focus is on gentle dough handling. Creating the ideal dough structure in the mixer, then handling the dough sensitively through the dividing, rounding and moulding stages, preserves the integrity of the dough structure and results in a loaf with higher consumer appeal. Further inf

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