As large batches of dough that are full of inclusions work their way through dividers and rounders, they can change a lot. Bakers need to make adjustments to cope with the changes.

“If they have these big mixers, the only way to minimize the difference from the beginning of the dough to the end of the dough is if they have a jacketed mixer where they keep the dough at a certain temperature all the time or they’re in an air-conditioned bakery,” said Andres Lopez, business development manager, Handtmann Inc. “That’s why a lot of artisan bakers who do breads like these tend to use spiral mixers because they don’t have larger batches of dough.”

Yeasted doughs will continue to rise, especially in warm bakeries.

“Depending on the size of your batch, you could have significant differences from the beginning to the end of a batch,” said John Giacoio, Rheon. “These differences do not affect the Rheon stress-free systems because we are dividing by weight. The dimension of the dough piece will increase the longer the dough rests, but the dividing weight will be accurate throughout.”

Using inline checkweighers with feedback loops to control the weight-adjustment servo helps improve weights overall considerably, said Jerry Murphy, vice president of sales, Gemini Bakery Solutions. 

“PLC controls of recipe management enable tremendous flexibility for bakers for mixing varied products,” he explained. “Very precise time sequences can be programmed and controlled, which in the end creates the ability to make very consistent products over longer periods of time.”

Dough consistency often shifts due to fermentation, temperature variations or hydration changes from the start to the end of a batch, said Bruce Campbell, executive product manager, AMF Flex. 

“AMF Flex Dividers address this by utilizing real-time monitoring of dough and belt temperatures, enabling dynamic adjustments to maintain consistency throughout the production cycle,” he said. “This ensures minimal variability, even as dough properties evolve during processing.”

Dough processing is a particularly critical factor in the production of firm doughs, for example for pretzel rolls, said Julia Kneidinger, marketing manager for Koenig Bakery Systems.

“The typically firm doughs put a lot of strain on the dough dividing and molding machines in continuous operation,” she said. “We, therefore, recommend taking this into account when planning a new bread roll line and opting for robustly built machines.”

Grain breads in general are harder on equipment, and wear parts need to be monitored on a routine basis, said Jim Fontaine, bakery director/field service manager, Reiser. 

“Proper preventive maintenance is a must if you expect that piece of equipment to operate consistently and efficiently,” he said. “Reiser’s Vemag HP/HPR series dividers are fully washdown, easily disassembled and assembled for quick, thorough sanitation to keep the divider running efficiently.”

The wear and tear on equipment caused by inclusions can often depend on the particulates being used, Lopez said. For instance, sugar can scratch up surfaces.

“If you’re doing a lot with particulates, you know you’re going to damage your stainless steel, so you’re going to have to be more diligent about checking and replacing the parts,” he added. “So make sure you are monitoring the internals of the vane pump. The more damage you do to them, the faster they wear out.”

Bakers should anticipate that equipment will be used with a variety of different dough types, including stiffer doughs and those with a variety of inclusions. 

“Rheon uses load cells beneath the conveyors to weigh the dough to allow us to cut by weight accurately,” Giacoio said. “These load cells should be recalibrated on a regular basis, which only takes a few minutes. Thorough cleaning of the conveyors means the target weight will be more accurate.”

The added stress on machines caused by inclusions requires regular inspection, maintenance and lubrication, said Bruce Gingrich, sales manager, WP Bakery Group USA.

Nathan McDermott, technical sales, WP Bakery Group USA, agreed, adding, “WP offers special coatings on the hopper and dividing chamber for more acid-resistance which can allow for a longer lifespan.” 

As bakers produce breads that feature nuts, seeds, fruits and other inclusions, they need to ensure that they have the right equipment to handle them and ensure consistency in doughs and proper maintenance to yield high-quality products.

This article is an excerpt from the February 2025 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature on Dividing & Rounding, click here.