Chopin Gets The Measure Of Dough

A profiling innovation from French firm Chopin Technologies, the Mixolab, aims to help industrial bakers and biscuit makers quickly understand the suitability of cereal flours for their product recipes.

With just one test the Mixolab profiler measures key aspects of dough performance including: native and damaged starch; fat; fibre; enzymes; the effects of protein; and the interactions between each of these elements.
It is described as a ‘specific protocol’ to bring faster quality control and easier interpretation when receiving new batches of cereal flours.
Identifying the suitability of certain cereal flour batches earmarked for specific product formulations early on in the manufacturing process should help avoid wastage further down the production line and could potentially bring cost savings to bakers and biscuit makers.
The Mixolab profiler converts the Mixolab standard curve into six visible indices graduated from 0 to 9 – the Mixolab Index – for a characterisation of flour.
The parameters interpreted and gauged are: water absorption; dough resistance; protein/gluten strength; viscosity hot; amylase resistance; and retrogradation.
In other words, the baker or biscuit maker can quickly see whether the cereal flour in hand is suitable for the product they wish to manufacture and meets their specifications.
With assignable profiles, the profiling tool sets the limits of acceptability of the flour according to its final use, either accepting or refusing the flour by comparing its index with the desired profile. The initial configuration offers 16 profiles including flour for baguettes, pan bread, biscuits, pizza, and baklava.