Improve Bakery Manufacturing Process Efficiency with Real Time Humidity & Temperature Control

Humidity & Temperature In Baking Production Process

To get the perfect loaf of bread you need to ensure you’re baking at the correct temperature with the right level of humidity. Finding and maintaining the optimal drying conditions for your baking process is key to reducing product waste and minimizing energy use – key concerns for food producers in today’s operational environment.

Mixing Ingredients

Flour and sugar can contain different levels of moisture, which can adversely affect the quality of the final products or bakery products. Monitoring humidity is particularly important when predefined recipes are used in automated production lines. Ingredients are combined into a smooth, uniform dough; the yeast and other ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the dough. After mixing, the dough is divided into parts and allowed to rest for a few minutes to release the gluten in the dough, thereby simplifying the next step of shaping. If the temperature is too high, the dough will be too sticky. If the moisture content is too low before shaping, the skin will form on the surface of the dough, stopping it from rising properly.

Dough Proofing / Rising

Proofing is the next important step, in which the dough reaches about 90% of the bread volume before baking. This process takes place in closed chambers where the conditions are optimal for the dough to grow. To ensure these conditions, regular monitoring and control of relative humidity and temperature is necessary. Depending on the type of yeast and flour used, the ideal temperature is between 38-42 °C and the humidity between 70-80 % relative humidity.

Baking

Whether the air is too dry or too moist when the humidity isn’t optimal, the color, flavor, and texture of the bread will suffer and the yield will be poor. Forced convection ovens have relative humidity levels of 30 to 60 percent with lower temperatures. Natural convection ovens have humidity levels of 90 to 95 percent with higher temperatures. If the ambient air in a baking oven contains too much water, the bread’s crust will not be as crisp as it should be and the product will spoil more easily, leading to wastage and a low yield. On the other hand, if the ambient air is too dry then the product will be too – while also wasting energy and money on overheating, thus making the baking process less sustainable.

Storage

The conditions in which you store and handle baked goods are also important, as temperatures and humidity levels affect final products and their shelf life. Overly humid conditions soften crisp crusts, make crackers lose their crunch, or inhibit dough drying, which is necessary for pasta. If the area lacks temperature control, the goods will develop mold quickly. Overly arid conditions dry out goods that consumers expect to be soft and moist, such as cakes and sweet rolls. The need for adequate relative humidity levels begins before the baking starts, in the storage room. Many ingredients perform their best and maintain their quality when relative humidity levels are lower and temperatures are cooler. Otherwise, the ingredients degrade faster as they oxidize, increase in water weight and become vulnerable to mold growth. Conversely, some ingredients require higher relative humidity levels, such as fruit or icing, or they will desiccate.