Bread dough conditioners

[chefpeon]

Yipes. Just got off a 14 hour workday and the boss decided to call me over to his house to

ask about extending the shelf life on our breads.

I have a pretty good knowledge of bread and I did artisan bread for two years back in '95 to '97. I've been away from that part of the biz for a while so I'm a bit rusty. The last time I worked with any type of dough conditioners was when I was in pastry school, and that was limited mostly to nonfat milk solid type products.

Apparently boss-man isn't entirely satisfied from our lead bread guy's input regarding extending shelf life, so he decided to pick my brain too. After a 14 hour workday, all I managed to get out besides "uhhhhhh", was "malt syrup?"

I do believe the use of malt syrup makes for a softer and longer shelf life bread, right?

We have a non-diastatic malt powder that we use in some of our doughs, but I don't believe it

has the same effects on the dough as syrup. But I'm not sure. Can someone set me straight?

Can you educate me a bit?

Does anyone out there use a particular brand of dough conditioner they are happy with?

Would you be able to give me a brand name?

My brain hurts.

[u2star]

Yipes. Just got off a 14 hour workday and the boss decided to call me over to his house to

ask about extending the shelf life on our breads.

I have a pretty good knowledge of bread and I did artisan bread for two years back in '95 to '97. I've been away from that part of the biz for a while so I'm a bit rusty. The last time I worked with any type of dough conditioners was when I was in pastry school, and that was limited mostly to nonfat milk solid type products.

Apparently boss-man isn't entirely satisfied from our lead bread guy's input regarding extending shelf life, so he decided to pick my brain too. After a 14 hour workday, all I managed to get out besides "uhhhhhh", was "malt syrup?"

I do believe the use of malt syrup makes for a softer and longer shelf life bread, right?

We have a non-diastatic malt powder that we use in some of our doughs, but I don't believe it

has the same effects on the dough as syrup. But I'm not sure. Can someone set me straight?

Can you educate me a bit?

Does anyone out there use a particular brand of dough conditioner they are happy with?

Would you be able to give me a brand name?

My brain hurts.

←

Check out:

http://www.foodinnovation.com/FoodInnovati...Industry/Bakery

I remember requesting a sample awhile back when I was experimenting with cinnamon rolls. They were helpful when I emailed them and the website has lots of info.

Diane

http://www.foodproductdesign.com/articles/1199cc.html

Edited June 13, 2008 by u2star (log)

[u2star]

I also recommend this book. It has a great section on conditioners and resources in it!

Bakery Products: Science And Technology (Hardcover)

by Y. H. Hui (Editor), Harold Corke (Editor), Ingrid De Leyn (Editor), Wai-Kit Nip (Editor), Nanna A. Cross (Editor

http://www.amazon.com/Bakery-Products-Tech...13335523&sr=1-2

[dougal]

It depends what type of product you (or rather your boss) want to produce.

A sourdough loaf sold by Poilane would remain good for days, while a classic baguette from a typical Parisian boulangerie simply does not stay fresh from one meal to the next.

And in my local supermarket, I could buy a packaged, sliced loaf that resists staling for a week or more, thanks to the cocktail of chemicals it contains.

Its a suicide mission to compete against supermarkets on their chosen ground of chemical bread.

But producing an "Artisan" product means staying away from the pusher's candies... (And having written that, I can't get "White Rabbit" out of my head...)

But by simply reducing the quantity of yeast (and thus extending the rise times - with inevitable consequences for production routines) the bread will resist staling for longer. "Going stale" is partly drying out, and partly continuing (bio)chemical processes.

However, the use of "acceptable" products like Soya Milk (as all or part of the dough liquid) can give a product whose crumb stays softer, longer.

Soya Milk's combination of positive effects is explained here http://www.danlepard.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=11127#11127 (with the recipe at the beginning of the thread)