Equipment manufacturers are fielding a variety of requests from bread makers these days to accommodate changes they are interested in making to their lines.

“Our top requests are for dough dividers that can scale a wider variety of products and being washdown capable,” said Jim Fontaine, bakery field sales manager, Reiser. “Our recipe-driven changeovers allow us to accurately scale everything from a white, tight crumb structure sandwich bread to stiffer variety breads with inclusions.”

He added that bakers are adjusting to requests for more gluten-free, keto and organic breads. These doughs are often drier and stiffer, which can be a struggle for conventional ram and shear dividers to handle.

Franck Ellenbogen, sales director, North America, Mecatherm, said he’s seeing more demand for clean label and a diversity of products.

“We see a trend toward better-for-you/healthier products, such as gluten-free, whole-grain or multigrain products,” he said. “Premium products are also a strong trend, along with high nutritional value ingredients.”

Because labor is at a premium right now, requests are being made for bigger, better machinery that is going to enable bakeries to become more automated, said Ken Johnson, president, Gemini Bakery Equipment.

“Small bakers with unique products that lean toward manual processing steps are looking for ways to automate areas of their production line to become more efficient and less reliant on finding and maintaining labor,” he said. “Large bakeries are moving toward highly automated, high-volume production lines with minimal labor and real-time information as to the status and performance of their lines.”

He also said robotic use is rapidly accelerating.

“Robotic systems are becoming more and more affordable and have taken quantum leaps in reliability over the years,” Johnson added.

Andres Lopez, business development manager for Handtmann Inc., said he’s seeing a higher priority being put on equipment care, especially post-COVID. 

“Customers are even more concerned about the efficiency of their maintenance, so they are more concerned about having the right parts on hand to minimize regular service and unplanned downtimes,” he said. “We’ve received a much higher number of requests for recommended parts lists, for instance.”

Doughs that have longer fermentation times are on the rise, said Johan Laros, managing director, Royal Kaak North America Inc.

“Not only sourdough, but also liquid sponge doughs and even final dough being bulk-proofed for multiple hours before being used on the bread production line,” he said. “By doing so, a unique and special character and taste of the final bread product can be achieved.”

Trends vary in different parts of the world, said Nicola Menardo, president, TP Food Group, North America.

“In North America, for instance, freestanding bread is not in high demand, but we are responding to more and more requests from bakers that target bakery goods with higher added value and also with longer proofing time, which can exceed 10 hours,” he said. “In Europe, on the other hand, we are seeing a strong demand for hearth-baked bakery items that use natural leavening.”

Dan Alper, product marketing manager, AMF Bakery Systems, has noticed a wide variety of requests from customers these days.

“In the ever-evolving baking industry, key trends include a focus on sustainability, plant-based ingredients, functional foods, ethnic and regional flavors, and innovative shapes and formats,” he said. “These trends reflect consumers’ growing interest in environmentally friendly practices, diverse and nutritious ingredients, and unique bread products that cater to a wide range of dietary preferences and cultural influences.”

Bakeries are working hard to keep up with various consumer demands for more premium and BFY varieties of bread while also ensuring that production runs efficiently. It’s a challenge that bakers continue to face head-on as they work to improve operations across the board.

This article is an excerpt from the July 2024 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Pan Bread Processing, click here.