DE102022207633B3 - Process for making toast bread - Google Patents

Abstract

Method for producing toast bread, device for producing the toast bread and a toast bread produced by the method.

Description

The invention relates to a method for producing toast bread and a toast bread produced by the method. The invention further relates to a device for producing toast according to the method described.

Toast bread, also commonly known as white bread or sandwich bread, is a popular ingredient in many people's diets. In Germany, around 650 million pieces of toast are sold every year. Accordingly, toast bread is now produced industrially in large quantities.

Toast bread is a classic loaf of bread that is baked in a pan without a lid. The quality of the toast can be recognized by the soft, fine-pored and even crumb structure. Toast bread also has a thin crust. Classic toast defects are pores that are too large and irregular, which are caused by fermenting for too long and incorrect processing of the toast dough.

In order to counteract these typical errors, toast dough is processed and shaped using established methods. The dough is usually worked up using the so-called 4-piece method, 10-piece method or the twist method.

With the 4-piece method, the dough is rolled out, folded in and an even, cylindrical strand of dough is formed and then cut into 4 equal pieces. These pieces are then rotated 90° and placed in the baking pan. This process improves the pore structure and crumb stability.

For the 10-piece method, 10 pieces of dough weighing approximately 60 g each are formed, rounded and placed next to each other in two rows of 5 in the baking pan.

In the twist method, two pieces of dough of the same weight are rolled into strands and then twisted against each other. The twisted pieces of dough are then placed in the baking pan and baked.

DE 44 42 934 C2 discloses a method for producing fine flour bread, in which the dough is portioned after preparation, treated and finally baked. After preparation, the dough is placed into a double spindle pump with two conveying elements, which kneads the dough as it is conveyed and divides it into portions when it leaves the pump.

DD 2 42 958 B1 discloses a method for producing long wheat dough shapes, for example white bread or toast bread, with a uniform pore. After resting, the dough is rolled into a dough strand and divided into dough strips to form a knitted skin. This is followed by another dough rest before the dough strips are cut into an exact length.

However, with the methods mentioned, bread defects such as waist formation, crumb shadows, etc. often occur. In addition, industrial production requires complex production lines that must be maintained and cleaned due to the different process steps.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of providing a method for producing toast that eliminates the disadvantages mentioned.

• - Portionieren einzelner Teigstücke;
• - Rundwirken der portionierten Teigstücke;
• - Abwalzen und/oder Andrücken der rundgewirkten Teigstücke;
• - Gruppieren von mehreren Teigstücken in einer Reihe, wobei die Teigstücke derart angeordnet werden, dass das nachfolgende Teigstück das vorhergehende Teigstück teilweise überlappt.
• - Ablegen der gruppierten Teigstücke in eine Backform;
• - Gären der gruppierten Teigstücke in der Backform; und
• - Backen der Teigstücke in der Backform.

According to the invention, the above object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Thereafter, the procedure in question has the steps:

• - Portioning individual pieces of dough;
• - Rounding the portioned pieces of dough;
• - Rolling and/or pressing the rounded dough pieces;
• - Grouping several pieces of dough in a row, the pieces of dough being arranged in such a way that the subsequent piece of dough partially overlaps the previous piece of dough.
• - Place the grouped pieces of dough into a baking pan;
• - Fermenting the grouped pieces of dough in the baking pan; and
• - Baking the dough pieces in the baking pan.

In accordance with the invention, it was first recognized that the above method can be used to produce a shadow-free toast with a uniformly fine crumb porosity in the middle of the bread slice and on the edge of the crust.

This is essentially achieved by grouping the pieces of dough, with no further provision for cutting the pieces of dough after portioning. This results in a compact strand of dough in which the individual pieces of dough stand horizontally during fermentation, resulting in a uniform dough. Precise portioning of the dough pieces also ensures that the weight of the dough pieces does not differ significantly.

Grouping the pieces of dough means lining up the pieces of dough so that the following piece of dough partially overlaps the previous piece of dough. The overlap of the dough pieces can be in a range of 10 to 65%, preferably 15 to 60%, preferably 20 to 55% based on the covered surface and/or the proportion of the overlapped dough piece. The pieces of dough lined up next to each other are grouped like a fan.

Another advantage of the process is that grouping the dough pieces allows for a more compact production line structure. This means that space and energy can be saved during production, especially in the industrial sector, when processing the dough and baking. In addition, the maintenance effort and costs are significantly reduced.

To ensure consistent quality, the pieces of dough must have the same weight as possible. This is made possible by portioning the pieces of dough. The portioning can be carried out using a simple cutting device, such as a dough guillotine or knife, which separates a precisely measured amount of dough from a larger amount of dough. The dimensions can be ensured, for example, by a defined feed of the dough through a funnel or on a conveyor belt. Additionally or alternatively, the exact weight of the piece of dough can be determined using a weighing device, after which the weighed piece is then portioned.

Rounding the dough pieces is an important basis and the first step in giving the dough its shape. The dough is beaten manually or automatically from the outside in like a ball. This creates a round, tight piece of dough. The rounding is intended to increase the tension of the dough and create an even tension on the dough skin. This promotes even pore formation of the dough when baking.

By subsequently rolling and/or pressing the dough pieces, the height of the dough pieces is reduced and the pores of the dough pieces are thus refined. In addition, the dough is stabilized at the correct thickness and width.

In one embodiment, the portioning and rounding of the dough pieces is carried out in a dough dividing and molding machine. By both dividing and rounding the toast dough in one machine, the space required can be further reduced. In addition, the individual steps in such a dough dividing and molding machine are optimally coordinated with one another, which allows a high throughput of dough pieces.

In a further embodiment, the portioning of the dough pieces is carried out by means of a cutting device to which the dough is fed from a rolling out system. This has the advantage that pieces of dough of exactly the same dimensions can be continuously portioned in a simple manner with a controlled feed of the dough from the rolling out system and a defined timing of the cutting device.

In a further embodiment, a pre-fermentation step is provided before rolling and/or pressing the rounded dough pieces. The pre-fermentation makes the dough malleable and can be processed more easily when the dough pieces are subsequently grouped.

Basically, there are no limits to the size and length of the toast that can be made using the method described. Only the dimensions of the baking pans and/or the oven are relevant to the length. It has been shown that toast bread with the usual commercially available dimensions, such as with a length of 250 to 280 mm, preferably in the range of 260 to 270 mm, can be produced in outstanding quality by grouping 3 to 6 pieces of dough, preferably 4 to 5 Pieces of dough can be made. In a further embodiment, 3 to 6, preferably 4 to 5 pieces of dough are grouped together for a piece of toast. It is also conceivable that the process described could be used to produce longer pieces of toast for industrial production. For example, 12 to 25 pieces of dough can be placed in appropriately sized baking pans and baked. The advantage here is that several pieces of toast can be packaged from a longer loaf of toast, but only two end pieces are produced. This reduces the number of end pieces.

The grouped pieces of dough are then placed into the baking pans, which can be done by simply dropping the grouped pieces of dough from a conveyor belt into a baking pan. It is also conceivable that the grouped pieces of dough are placed manually or automatically, for example using appropriate deposit devices, in a baking pan.

The deposited pieces of dough are then fed to the final cooker and treated at temperatures in the range of 30 to 40°C, preferably 34 to 40°C. The relative humidity in this step can be in the range of 75 to 95%. The fermentation times are selected depending on the amount of dough and the fermentation temperature, so that the above-mentioned optimal results are achieved visibly the crumb structure, waist formation and/or oven sprouting can be achieved. The fermentation times range from 45 to 85 minutes.

In the usual methods, especially the 4-piece method, after weighing the dough pieces, a pre-proofing system is required. This can be a longer conveyor belt in an air-conditioned room or a hanging pre-proofing system with individual hanging cups in an air-conditioned enclosure. Furthermore, in the 4-piece method, the processed dough pieces are cut after rolling out and rolled up and twisted by 90° and placed in the baking pans in order to prevent excessive pores in the dough. This method therefore requires an additional cutting unit in the production line, which requires additional maintenance work. In the process described here, cutting the portioned and rounded pieces of dough is not necessary, which eliminates the need for an additional cutting step and makes the system more compact.

Grouping the dough pieces makes it possible to transport the dough strands at smaller distances from one another on the conveyor belts of the production line and to bake the toast in more compact formations. This also saves space in the oven and the feeding conveyors. This means that less energy is required for processing and/or baking in the oven. Energy savings of up to 15% for the oven are possible thanks to more compact baking.

While the baking time depends on the oven system, the dough pieces are usually baked at a temperature in the range of 200°C to 240°C. This is relevant for optimal browning of the crust and crumb structure.

The invention also relates to a device for producing toast bread according to the method described. The device has a dough feeding device, a dough portioning device, a dough shaping device for rounding the portioned dough pieces, a rolling and/or pressing device, at least one conveyor belt for grouping the dough pieces and an oven for baking the dough pieces.

In one embodiment, the dough feed device, the dough portioning device and the dough molding device are arranged in a dough dividing and molding machine. In this machine, the dough can enter a portioning device via a pre-portioning funnel or similar in order to portion individual pieces of dough according to weight. The portioning device can alternatively or additionally comprise a weighing unit, such as a weighing drum, into which the portioned dough is weighed out.

The balanced and portioned pieces of dough can be fed to a dough molding device, which rounds the pieces of dough. In order to enable a high cycle rate, the balanced pieces of dough can be delivered beforehand on an intermediate conveyor belt. The rounding can be carried out, for example, with a sanding drum, preferably an oscillating sanding drum, a sanding plate, preferably an oscillating sanding plate, a knitting channel, a cone rounder, a column rounder and/or a cup rounder.

The rounded dough pieces can then be placed from the dough dividing and molding machine onto a conveyor belt. The conveyor belt is preferably an expanding belt so that the distances between the pieces of dough can be increased.

In a further embodiment, the dough feeding device comprises a rolling out system which feeds the dough to a dough portioning device which comprises a cutting device. The dough portioning device can have one or more dough knives or dough guillotines, which cut the dough from the rolling device at a predetermined interval and thus portion it. Alternatively or additionally, the dough portioning device can have a weighing device which weighs the portioned pieces of dough and adapts this weight depending on a predefined weight. The rounding of the dough pieces can be carried out using the above-mentioned dough rounding devices; in particular, the dough pieces are rounded using a cup rounder and/or a drum rounder.

The rounded dough pieces can then be reduced in height by a rolling and/or pressing device. In order to keep the dough flexible and to avoid skin formation on the dough, the dough can then be sprayed with water using a spray device.

The device further comprises at least one conveyor belt on which the pieces of dough are grouped and from which the grouped pieces of dough are placed in a baking pan.

It is essential that no further knives or cutting devices are provided in the device after the dough pieces have been portioned. This saves space, material and energy. In addition, the maintenance effort of the device is reduced compared to commonly used production lines.

For the final fermentation, the device has a secondary proofing cabinet into which the pieces of dough placed in the baking pan go before baking. In the secondary fermenter, temperatures in the range of 30 to 40°C, preferably 34 to 40°C, are achieved. The relative humidity can be in the range of 75 to 95%.

The cooked dough pieces are then baked in the baking pans in an oven. The oven can be a continuous oven. By grouping the dough pieces more compactly into a longer baking pan from which several pieces of toast can be made, it is possible to shorten the distance by approx. 10 to 14% compared to conventional continuous ovens compared to existing systems. This improvement was shown when comparing the method and device described here with existing methods and production lines for toast/sandwich bread.

The invention also relates to a toast bread which is produced using the method described. The toast bread, which was made using the process described here, is characterized by fine porosity and an even crumb structure. Compared to the toast bread made using the usual methods, the toast bread described here has no waist.

The process described here can be used to produce toast bread with a variable length. The length is only limited by the dimensions of the baking pan and the oven. For example, toast bread with a length of 250 to 280 mm, preferably in the range of 260 to 270 mm, can be produced. However, longer toasts are conceivable.

• 1: schematischer Aufbau der Vorrichtung gemäß einer Ausführungsform.
• 2: schematischer Aufbau der Vorrichtung gemäß einer Ausführungsform.

There are now various ways to advantageously design and develop the teaching of the present invention. On the one hand, reference should be made to the claims subordinate to claim 1 and, on the other hand, to the following explanation of preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention based on the drawing. In connection with the explanation of the preferred exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawing, generally preferred embodiments and further developments of the teaching are also explained. Show in the drawings

• 1 : Schematic structure of the device according to one embodiment.
• 2 : Schematic structure of the device according to one embodiment.

1 shows a schematic structure of the device for producing toast bread according to an embodiment with a dough dividing and molding machine 1. First, the dough is filled into, for example, a roller hopper via a pre-portioning funnel 2. Using rotating star rollers, optimized pieces of dough 3 are transported to the weighing area depending on the weight of the piece of dough. A horizontally moving slider 4 then presses the portioned piece of dough 3 into an opening in the rotating weighing drum 5. Excess dough can be conveyed back into the weighing area using a scraper bar. After rotating through 180°, the balanced pieces of dough 3 are dispensed onto an intermediate belt 6. The intermediate belt 6 enables the precise timing of the production of the dough pieces 3. In addition, the dough can relax between portioning and rounding. The piece of dough 3 then passes into a dough kneading device 7, which can be an oscillating grinding drum. The size and quality of the grinding drum 7a depends on the dough consistency and the dough weight. In the lower position of the grinding drum 7a, the rounded dough pieces are discharged onto a conveyor belt 8, which can be an expanding belt, and fed to a rolling and/or pressing device 9. The pieces of dough 3 are then optionally sprayed with water 10 and grouped like a fan 11. The pieces of dough 11 grouped like a fan are then placed in a baking pan 12 and fed to the proofer for cooking and to the oven for baking.

2 shows a schematic structure of the device according to a further embodiment. The embodiment differs from that 2 in that the dough is fed as a rolled-out dough strand from a rolling-out system 13 to a dough portioning device 14. The dough portioning device 14 can be a cutting device, in particular a guillotine or one or more knives for cutting dough. The portioned dough pieces 3 are then fed to a dough shaping device 7 for rounding the dough pieces. The dough moulding device can be a cup rounder or drum rounder. The rounded dough pieces 3 are then rolled and/or pressed 9, optionally sprayed with water 10 and grouped in a fan shape 11. Finally, the grouped dough pieces 11 are placed in a baking pan 12 and baked in the oven.

With regard to further advantageous embodiments of the method according to the invention, in order to avoid repetition, reference is made to the general part of the description and to the attached claims.

Finally, it should be expressly pointed out that the exemplary embodiments of the method according to the invention described above are only intended to discuss the claimed teaching serve, but do not limit them to the exemplary embodiments.

Reference symbol list

1

Dough dividing and molding machine

2

Pre-portioning funnel

3

pieces of dough

4

horizontally moving slider

5

weighing drum

6

Intermediate band

7

Dough kneading device

7a

sanding drum

8th

conveyor belt

9

Rolling and/or pressing device

10

Water spraying

11

Group

12

Place in baking pan

13

Roll-out system

14

Dough portioning device

Claims (10)

Method for making toast bread, comprising the steps: - Portioning individual pieces of dough 3; - Rounding the portioned pieces of dough 3; - Rolling and/or pressing the rounded dough pieces 3; - Grouping 11 of several pieces of dough in a row, the pieces of dough 3 being arranged in such a way that the subsequent piece of dough partially overlaps the previous piece of dough; - Place the grouped pieces of dough in a baking pan 12; - Proofing the grouped pieces of dough in the baking pan; and - Baking the dough pieces in the baking pan. Procedure according to Claim 1 , whereby the portioning and rounding of the dough pieces 3 is carried out in a dough dividing and molding machine 1. Procedure according to Claim 1 , whereby the portioning of the dough pieces 3 is carried out by means of a cutting device, to which the dough is fed from a rolling out system 13. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 3 , whereby a pre-fermentation step is provided before rolling and/or pressing the rounded dough pieces. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 4 , whereby 3 to 6, preferably 4 to 5 pieces of dough are grouped together for a piece of toast. Procedure according to one of the Claims 1 until 5 , whereby the dough pieces 3 are no longer cut in the steps after portioning. Device for producing toast bread according to the method according to one of Claims 1 until 6 , wherein the device has a dough feed device, a dough portioning device 14, a dough shaping device 7 for rounding the portioned dough pieces 3, a rolling and / or pressing device 9, at least one conveyor belt 8 for grouping the dough pieces 11 and an oven for baking the dough pieces. Device according to Claim 7 , wherein the dough feed device, the dough portioning device 14 and the dough knitting device 7 are arranged in a dough dividing and knitting machine 1. Device according to Claim 7 , wherein the dough feed device comprises a rolling device 13, which feeds the dough to a dough portioning device 14, which includes a cutting device. Toast bread prepared according to the method according to one of the Claims 1 until 6 is manufactured.