Belgian bakery ingredients specialist Puratos Group has developed a new enzyme improver for part-baked frozen (PBF) bakery products, according to Bakeryandsnacks.com.
PBF products allow bakers to fulfil demand for freshly baked bread at short-notice by rebaking a partially baked product to form colour and crust. The challenge involves producing similar quality bread to that made by conventional direct-baking methods.
Puratos UK spokesman George Spain told BakeryandSnacks.com that with trends in bakery, as elsewhere within the food industry, moving towards clean-label products, demand has grown for enzyme-based improvers. He explained that the firm's new improver, Double Bake Acti-Plus, can be used in low concentrations, disappears during proving and reduces the need for traditional chemical emulsifiers.
Spain added that depending on the application, Puratos’ new “fungal and amylase-type” product constitutes between 1-2% of total flour weight, and is especially well-suited for use in baguettes, crusty rolls and tin loafs.
“This is fairly new technology in that we’re using enzyme solutions rather than traditional emulsifiers – the latter are still there but in lower quantities,” said Spain.
The firm claims that the improver is suitable for par-baked products in modified atmosphere packaging, while Spain outlined some other advantages: “Improvements are also apparent in staling using Acti-Plus: shelf life remains around 1-2 days, but the bread is in much better condition using this solution.”
Crust flaking is a particular problem in part-prepared frozen products, and according to Puratos, using Acti-Plus results in limits crust flaking after the first bake, reduces side collapsing of bread and provides “good oven jump and excellent cut definition”.
The firm says that use of a good quality improver in PBF products should ensure that: “The surface of the part-baked items remains flexible upon freezing, in order to avoid excessive crust flaking after the final (second) bake.” More from Bakeryandsnacks.com