Bakery Application Director Lallemand Baking Wagenberg, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Description: More and more bakeries are integrating Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives into their global business strategy. One area of great interest involves the implementation of environmental sustainability measures such as reducing water consumption and conserving fuel energy. Challenging the optimum water/hydration level is key when bakeries need to account for water use and loss. Gluten development depends on the available water at the first phase of mixing. Gluten releases the water during baking and the starch absorbs most of the water when it is gelatinized during baking which support the bread structure. Free water needs to be evaporated during baking to achieve the right core temperature in the bread. Baking is an important process step to monitor when designing an energy efficiency program. Reducing bake time may lead to important energy savings but should not jeopardize oven spring, crumb structure, crust formation and coloration, nor induce moisture loss and weight loss. To help in the implementation of water conservation and energy efficiency programs, bakeries can now turn to enzyme-based solutions to: - Reduce water meter bills and oven energy costs - Stabilize dough and improve gas retention of dough with lower hydration levels - Maintain production throughput - Maintain product qualities