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The Basics of Bread Improvers
Before the 1950s, bread would take up to a day
to produce. This was necessary so that certain chemical changes
could happen in the bread that would help in the production of gas
and its retention inside the bread. With the advent of plant bakeries
producing en masse, the production time for bread needed to be dramatically
shortened. This need lead to the development of bread improvers.
Bread improvers (also sometimes called dough conditioners) are technically
sophisticated blends of functional ingredients, which if formulated
correctly, will enhance the development of dough structure, facilitate
trouble-free production and provide the desired result of consistent
products of optimal quality with the lowest possible cost.
A bread improver is a combination of ingredients which exhibit one or more of the following:
» Enzymes
» Oxidising agents
» Reducing agents
» Emulsifiers
» Other agents with specific
effects
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Bread improvers have the following effect on the dough:
» Rheological: by increasing its
volume, strength and extensibility,
so that it is better able to
tolerate machine pressure;
» Fermentative:
by enhancing the
action of the yeast, controlling
fermentation and increasing gas
production and retention;
» Proofing: by encouraging a better
and faster rise during baking.
The performance of improvers depends on the choice, quantity and ratio
of each of the ingredients. Also affecting the outcome are the quality
of the flour, the type of equipment used, the processes followed and
the type of bread being baked.
The field of improvers has become very specialized. Originally, they
had a somewhat universal application, offering a broad use in bread
making. The increased competitive nature of markets, new technologies
and the demands of cost saving have resulted in bread improver formulations
becoming increasingly sophisticated.
For all your bread improver technical assistance and sales, contact
NBI. |
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