Technology Specialists: How to Achieve Kneading Consistency

Diosna and WP Bakerygroup share their views on how equipment and technology innovations help with consistent dough mixing. These are the major challenges of the process and their solutions.

Ingredients are first stirred until combined in a homogenous mixture that is then ready to be kneaded. Texture must be considered and monitored throughout the process to achieve shiny and smooth dough, with an elastic feel, at the end of it. We are looking into equipment innovations that answer challenges in the mixing process and meet specifications required for kneading equipment in industrial and artisanal bakeries, with the help of mixing technology specialists Diosna and WP Bakerygroup.

Having registered its first patent of a mixer in 1911, Germany-headquartered Diosna shared something of its century-long expertise with us: “The most important dough mixing stage is achieving optimal homogeneity, so that the chemical and biochemical processes are optimized throughout the complete dough. The homogeneity has to be achieved within a short time, so that constant and even dough processing will be developed.”

The most important parameters for dough processing are mixing times, temperature and energy load; these will be recorded, stored within the PLC and transferred to an external storage medium via interface for archiving, Diosna explains for European Baker.

The dough consistency, in combination with dough temperature, is the most important parameter that can be recorded during dough processing. Recording will be effected with a special probe for consistency and a temperature sensor (PT 100 or infrared). Depending on results recorded during the complete dough process, deviations will be compensated for by adjusting the corresponding parameters. If, for example, the dough temperature is too high, CO2 could be fed to the dough if a CO2 cooling system is available.

The Wendel Mixer system

Several systems for the mixing of dough are available from Diosna. “The best system for nearly all types of dough is the Wendel Mixer system – for a simple reason: the Wendel Mixer is the best homogenizer.”

This mixing system provides the shortest homogenizing times, resulting in homogenous and effective chemical and biochemical processes during the mixing process – and furthermore shorter mixing times, less stress effects for the dough and lower dough heating. These are the most important characteristics to be kept in mind when a baker is looking for a mixer.

Recording the dough consistency and its integration within the dough processing is the equipment’s latest feature. This feature shows and records modifications of the raw materials and other deviations like impacts by temperature changes; and corrections made, if necessary. The feature is important for craft and industrial bakeries in order to maintain consistent dough characteristics.

Ingredients and equipment to mix

WP Bakerygroup’s Kemper is a company specialized in mixing equipment. With a wide range of solutions, Kemper has recently introduced its new generation of wheel-out spiral mixers for trade and industry under the name KRONOS. This is a standard mixer introduced as a classic series model for the first time – pre-configured in function, inexpensive and deliverable with very short lead time. The KRONOS PRO variant, with its many options, can be customized precisely to the individual needs of a customer. All KRONOS models work according to WP Kemper’s 3-Zone Mixing Principle, with guide bar and spiral.

The TITAN and the POWER MIXER are two industrial high-performance mixers also developed by Kemper, two mixers that can be upgraded to fully automatic mixing systems. This makes them compatible with large-scale bakeries and able to be tailored to the individual product range, the type of flour preferably used and the respective operating procedures.

As mixing and kneading represent the crucial first stage in the process of transforming raw materials into end products, we asked for WP Kemper’s expertise on what the key physical and chemical requirements are that must be met by mixing equipment.

“The water absorption ability of flour is a very important and variable factor. The type of corn and growing area influence the water absorption ability of flour as well,” according to Kemper’s knowhow. Low or high protein contents and the water absorption ability change the characteristics of flour as well. During the initial merging stage, solid and liquid ingredients are added to be mixed together; during mixing shear, drag and friction forces provide the needed energy for the dough to develop a strong stickiness. The mixing spiral presses the dough against the bowl side to achieve this.

The process control is vital and is a company motto with WP, as dough is constantly monitored, as well as cooled during kneading in order to maintain the organic properties of its raw materials. How does Kemper achieve this?

– Temperature sensor in guide bar

– Special tool for stiff doughs to reduce dough warming

– In the Resting Zone of WP Kemper´s 3-Zone Mixing Principle, the dough gets time to cool down

One of the main challenges in controlling the mixing process is dough warming and the strong gluten structure of the dough, WP tells us. The solution for this, in a nutshell, is CO2 cooling and energy measurement.

What key features should bakers of all capacities consider when choosing a new mixer for their production lines? First of all, the right mixing tools for the desired dough, the right batch size and quantity (processing time), and the degree of automation, according to Kemper.

This article was featured in European Baker, May/June.