QUESTION, REPLY

Research Department

r TECHNICAL
I
Editor Donald Dubois I Volume

BULLETIN
III, Issue 1
I

January,

1981

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE Industry Problems and Replies

Donald K. Dubois American Institute of Baking

INTRODUCTION One of the services provided by the American Institute of Baking is technical assistance to the bakery foods and related industries. Any person with a technical problem related to bakery food production can get advice and suggestions by contacting the Manager, Technical Assistance by letter or telephone. The response to this service has been very positive, and several hundred requests for assistance are received annually. Many of the questions are of general interest; and several of these problems and solutions are reviewed each month in the AIB Institute News. It has been recommended that these and other questions be assembled and published annually as a technical bulletin. This bulletin is in response to that recommendation. FORMULATION AND PROCESSING Bread and Buns: Question-Slicing Temperature. What is the best internal temperature for slicing and wrapping white pan bread? Reply-The optimum temperature will depend on a number of factors including formulation and oven conditions. It is generally considered an internal temperature range of 100 to 105F is a satisfactory range. Higher temperatures can cause excessive snow and gumming of the blades, while lower temperatures can result in ex cessive moisture loss and reduced shelf life. Question-Water Brew. Can you supply a good water brew formula for white bread or buns? Reply-A good starting formula is: BASIC WATER BREW Water. . . . . .78.0% Yeast.. . ...... . . . 9.1% Salt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1% Syrup..........................lO.l% Buffer . The brew should be set at 84-86F, allowed to rise to 88OF and held at 88F. Total fermentation should be ap-

proximately 11/z hours. The brew should be cooled to 45-50F as quickly as possible. Use approximately 38 pounds of brew for each 100 pounds of flour. This amount of brew will add 3.5% yeast, 30.25% water, 0.8% salt, and 3.9% sweetener syrup to the basic dough formula. Question-Bran Bread Dough, Weak. My bran dough shows a weak structure at the end of proof time, tending to collapse while transferring from the box to the oven. The formula contains about 15% bran, based on clear and whole wheat flour, and 2% gluten. Reply-The collapsing is due to weakness in the gluten structure due to lack of sufficient gluten or improper development. We recommend increasing the gluten to 4%, and decreasing the dough temperature to 76OF from the present 82OF. Also, it was indicated that most of the mixing is on high speed which can be detrimental to gluten in this type dough. It is recommended that the major portion of the mixing be on low speed, finishing with two minutes on high speed. Question-Buttertop Bread, Weak. My buttertop, multi-grain bread tends to collapse after cooling and slicing to the point that the split nearly disappears. What are some corrective measures? Reply-The addition of 2% vital wheat gluten will strengthen the system. Also, a drier, stiffer dough will help to reduce this condition. Question-Brew, Buffer Systems. I use the brew/ conventional mix system for baking bread and buns. I do not wish to use chemical buffers in the brew. What are the alternatives? Reply-Buffering agents in brew systems function to control the rate of acidity development, which in turn is one factor controlling fermentation rate. A steady, mild development of fermentation in brews is essential for good dough fermentation in the proof box and for production of bread and rolls having good texture, volume and flavor.
(continued)

The information

contained

in this bulletm

1s true and accurate to the best of our knowledge. or warranty, Institute of Baking. Material

However.since

conditions are beyond our control, nothing contained 1981, by the American

herein should be

construed as a recommendation, construed as an endorsement Way. Manhattan,

guarantee,

either expressed or implied by the American contained

Institute of Baking.

Neither should the mention of registered brand names be Institute of Baking. 1213 Bakers

of that product by the American

in this bulletin copyrighted,

Kansas 66502.913-537-4750.

Non-fat dry milk is a very effective buffering agent when used in brew systems. Also, flour functions as a mild buffering agent in brews and 10% to 30% of flour in the brew would be helpful. Close temperature control is more important when a brew buffer is not used. Question-Hamburger Buns, Freezing. What are recommended conditions for freezing of hamburger buns? Reply-Tests conducted recently at AIB and reported in the April, 1980 issue of Bakers Digest, show that immediately following the baking of hamburger buns, the moisture begins to migrate from the crumb to the crust. This results in an initial gain in the moisture content of the crust as the moisture content of the crumb decreases. At about 30 minutes after baking, the crust moisture reaches a peak and begins to decrease until, at equilibrium, the crust moisture content is decreasing at about the same rate as the crumb moisture. The optimum time for packaging appears to be at the point where the crust moisture begins to decrease and this point is when the bun has cooled to approximately 95F. After wrapping, some delay prior to freezing should be provided, so that a total of at least one hour passes between baking and freezing. This practice eliminates crumb-crust separation resulting from moisture equilibration problems. Question-Freezing, Effect on Shelf Life. Occasionally, I freeze finished bread and rolls for leveling our production and for handling unexpected orders. How much shelf life is lost in the freezing and thawing procedure? Reply-Freezing of bakery foods does not improve the quality of the product. The objective is to maintain the freshness built into the product. Since the freezing and thawing cycles involve passing the bakery food through the critical staling range twice, some loss in freshness will OCcur. It is a general estimate that about one day of shelf life is lost using this procedure. Question-Dough, Freezing Technique. What are recommended freezing conditions for bread dough pieces for instore bake off?

Reply-The usual procedure is to produce a cold dough (68OF) with little or no fermentation. The formed piece is then frozen in a blast freezer at - 20 to - 40F with an air flow of 600 to 800 CFM. After about 90 minutes under these conditions, the dough piece should have the desired core temperature of 17OF maximum. The temperature should be equilibrated after an additional 24-hour storage in the holding freezer. Question-Gluten Free Bread. I am allergic to wheat gluten. Do you have a formula for gluten free bread? Reply-Since it is the gluten which forms the basic cell structure for bread as we know it, and since wheat flour is the only cereal containing gluten, it is very difficult to duplicate typical bread structure without the use of wheat flour. The Western Regional Research Laboratory, USDA, has developed a bread formula using rice flour and gums. Also, the American Institute of Baking has developed a bread formula utilizing starch and gums. If interested, contact AIB for formulas. Cakes: Question-Chocolate Cake, Color. What causes occasional color changes in chocolate cakes? Reply-Chocolate cake color is very sensitive to variations in batter pH, which is the result of interactions of various ingredients and variations in pH of these ingredients. In general, the color of cocoa will vary from cinnamon brown at pH 5.0 to a chocolate brown at pH 7.0 and a mahogany at pH 7.5. This change is a result of indicators in the cocoa which change from yellow in acid to red in alkaline medium. Factors which affect pH include cocoa and chocolate ingredients, eggs, and leavening ingredients. flour, Normally, the proper pH can be obtained in chocolate cakes by adjusting the baking soda level to obtain the desired pH. Question-Pound Cake, Spots on Crust. Our butter pound cake occasionally develops light spots on an otherwise smooth, golden brown crust. What could cause this condition? Reply-An oven which is too hot during the early baking stage can cause premature release of the leav-

ening, producing small blisters which collapse and form light spots on the crust. A warm batter, such as one which might be produced during a hot weather spell, if temperatures are not checked and adjusted properly, can cause the same condition. (In this case, adjusting the oven temperature in the first stage corrected this condition .) Cookies: Question-Soft Cookies, Drying Out. I have a problem with my soft cookies drying out and becoming crumbly after two to three days storage. How can this condition be corrected? Reply-This condition was corrected in this bakery by replacing approximately 20 percent of the sucrose with high fructose corn syrup (42% fructose). The formula was adjusted for the water in the HFCS. Question-Excessive Spread. I manufacture a cookie dough which is deposited on a sheet, then frozen to be thawed and baked by our customers. The problem is a customer in Denver has complained of excessive cookie spread during baking. Reply-This particular frozen dough was manufactured in Illinois and handled satisfactorily at that altitude. Because of the difference in atmospheric pressure between Illinois and Denver due to the difference in altitude, cookie spread is increased by as much as 10 to 20 percent. To adapt this dough for high altitude baking, these steps are suggested: (1) reduced leavening; (2) reduced sugar; (3) increased liquids; (4) increase in flour. Refer to Research Technical Bulletin Volume 1, No. 9, September, 1979, for further details on high altitude baking. Doughnuts: QuestionTypical Fat Content. What is the fat content of doughnuts, and what proportion is frying fat? Reply-The fat content of doughnuts varies rather widely, depending on the product, but generally the range is 22% to 25% fat in the finished product. Of this, 80% to 85% is fat absorbed during frying. Question-Dough-nut Sugar Disappears. I am preparing my doughnut sugar using sucrose and -

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cinnamon. The sugared doughnuts are then frozen and packaged. Upon thawing, the sugar coating disappears rapidly. Why? Reply-The cause of this problem is probably the type of sugar being used. The powdered dextrose is normally used in doughnut coating sugars because dextrose is less soluble than sucrose at room temperature and will not dissolve as rapidly in the free water migrating from the corndoughnut. Also, unmodified starch and some oil, such as soy oil, will contribute to sugar coating stability. Question-Proofer Trays, Types. What type of proofer trays are recommended for yeast-raised doughnuts? Reply-Cloth-covered proofing trays are recommended for pressure cut and extruder type bench cut doughnuts. A Teflon-coated tray would be satisfactory for straight bench cut doughnuts. Screens are generally not recommended for extruder type doughs; this type proofing sometimes causes high-fat absorption. Question-Free Fatty Acid, Frying Fat. What is considered the optimum range for free fatty acids in doughnut frying shortening? Reply-A free fatty acid content of 0.4 to 0.5 percent in f:-ying shortening is considered about optimum, with a satisfactory operating range of 0.2 to 0.75 percent. Fresh fat with no break-in period may contain less than the optimum amount, the result being a ragged break, low fat absorption, and a pale crust on the doughnut. Excessive free fatty acids will produce excessive fat absorption, dark crust, misshapen in sugared doughnuts. Excessive free fatty acids can be determined by darkness of color in the frying fat, excessive foaming, and excessive smoking above the fat. A simplified test for free fatty acid is available from AIB. Pies: Question-Soggy Crust, Fried Pies. My fried pie crust becomes soggy after two to three days on the shelf. What is the cause of this condition? Reply-Investigation of this problem revealed that this baker was preparing his fruit one day, refrigerating overnight, and using it the second

day. The temperature of the fruit, when used, was between 35 and 40F. When the fruit was placed in the pie dough, and the crust fried, the layer of crust next to the cold fruit did not reach the proper baking temperature, and remained in a semiraw state. Raising the temperature of the fruit to 55O to 60F corrected this condition. INGREDIENTS Ingredient Functions: Question--Sorbic Acid Function. What is the function of sorbic acid in bakery foods? Reply-Sorbic acid and potassium sorbate are powerful mold inhibitors and are used for this purpose in many bakery foods. Sorbic acid, if used at high levels in yeast raised bakery foods, will retard yeast fermentation in the same manner as excessive levels of calcium or sodium propionate. One thousand parts per million, flour weight basis of sorbic acid will retard yeast fermentation to the extent of more than doubling proof time. A second function of sorbic acid is as a mix reduction agent. When used at very low levels, in the order of 20 parts per million, sorbic acid will reduce mixing time by 20 to 25 percent in a bread dough system and will produce a very smooth, sheetable dough. Sorbic acid performs this function only in dough systems where oxygen is available and a kneading action occurs. Question-CMC, Function in Cakes. What is CMC? Does it have cake application? Reply-CMC, generally classified as a gum stabilizer, is the sodium salt of carboxymethylcellulose. CMC has been used for years in box cake mixes for retail sale to develop viscosity rapidly in the batter, and to produce a cake with a moist texture. Some applications have been developed in bakery type cakes. General usage levels range from 0.125% to 0.375%) flour basis, with an increase in water of 30 to 50 ounces for each ounce of CMC. The CMC must be blended with the flour or sugar to prevent lumping since it is a water grabber. Question-Calcium Sulfate, Effect. Does calcium, and specifically

calcium sulfate, affect baking quality adversely and at what level does this effect occur? Reply-Tests conducted at AIB indicated that sufficient calcium sulfate could be added to a dough to provide an additional 1200 milligrams calcium per pound of bread without adversely affecting dough characterlevels produced a istics. Higher toughening effect on the dough. The tests also indicated that calcium sulfate could be added to a dough to supply up to 900 milligrams of calcium per pound of bread without adversely affecting bread quality. Higher levels produced some depression in loaf volume, the grain was somewhat open, and the texture slightly harsh. 900 milligrams of added calcium would require the addition of 14.3% ounces per cwt of hydrous calcium sulfate or 11.39 ounces per cwt of flour for anhydrous calcium sulfate. 1200 milligrams calcium addition would require 19 ounces per cwt of flour addition for hydrous calcium sulfate or 15.2 ounces addition for anhydrous calcium sulfate. Question-Lecithin, Pan Grease. What is the function of lecithin in pan grease? Reply-In the 1972 ASBE Proceedings, it was reported that lecithin is used in pan oils to reduce the surface tension which gives a better dispersion in the pan with a minimum amount of oil. It is used at about 2 % of the total pan oil. Question-Lipoxygenase, Function. What is lipoxygenase? Reply-Lipoxygenase, or lipoxidase, is an enzyme found in enzyme active soy flour. The enzyme produces a whitening of the bread crumb through bleaching of the brown carotenoid pigments of wheat flours. A secondary function is a slight oxidation effect on the gluten, increasing absorption and dough strength. Commercial blends are available. Refer to AIB Technical Bulletins, Volume II, Issue No. 10, 11, and 12 for more details. FDA Regulations, Ingredients: Question-Gluten in Whole Wheat Bread. Can vital wheat gluten be used in 100 percent whole wheat bread?

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Reply-Vital wheat gluten is a permitted ingredient in 100 percent whole wheat bread. Refer to CFR 21, 136.180. Question-Mineral Oil Limits. What is the mineral oil level permissible in bakery foods? Reply- White mineral oil meeting the requirements listed under CFR 21:172.878 is permitted as a release agent and lubricant for bakery products not to exceed 0.15% of the bakery product. Question-Oxidant Limits. What are the FDA limits for oxidants in bread and rolls? Reply-The Code of Federal Regulations, CFR 136.110, (c) (14) (i) specifies a maximum of 75 parts per million, flour weight basis, for any combination of the following materials: Potassium or Calcium Bromate, Potassium or Calcium Iodate, and Calcium Peroxide. These limitations include the oxidant added in flour, or from any other yeast foods, including straight oxidant. source, Azodicarbonamide (ADA) may be used at a maximum level of 45 parts per million including the ADA in the flour or from any other source. No maximum limit has been established for ascorbic acid. Question-L-cysteine Limits. What is the maximum limit for l-cysteine in bakery foods and what are typical usage ranges? Reply-The Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) affirms that 1-cysteine is generally recognized as safe (gras) and is permitted at up to 0.009 parts of total I-cysteine per 100 parts of flour (90 parts per million) in dough as a dough mellowing agent in yeast leavened baked goods and baking mixes. The reference for this regulation is CFR 21:184.1271. TECHNOLOGY Question-Off Odors in Bread. Occasionally my bread has a distinct off-odor resembling spray paint or nail polish. What is the cause of this odor? Reply-This problem is nearly always caused by the wild yeast, endoThis yeast is found in mycopsis. nature and is carried into the plant by The yeast converts air currents. starch into acetone, which is the odor detected in the bread. The yeast can best be eliminated by washing the

equipment with vinegar. For complete analysis of this problem and corrective measures, refer to AIBs The Professional Food Sanitarian, Volume One, Issue 18. Question-MTI, Flour. What is the MT1 in my bread flour reports, and what is its significance? Reply-MTI, or Mixing Tolerance Index, is a measurement of dough strength as determined by the Farinograph recording dough mixer. The MT1 is the measure of breakdown rate of the dough after it has reached its optimum or peak mixing time. An MT1 of 20 indicates only slight breakdown and a strong flour, 30 is a mellow flour, and 40 to 50 indicates a slightly weak flour. An MT1 of more than 50 indicates a weak flour. Question-pH and TTA. I wish to establish pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) controls for my brew bun system. At what points and how often should I make these determinations? Reply-Our recommended procedure is to check pH and TTA on the brew every 15 minutes to the point where it is refrigerated or is used. Then check pH and TTA at the divider, when the dough goes to the moulder, the dough from the proof box, the bread from the oven and the bread the following day. Make these determinations until the pattern is established. Then check the finished product on a daily basis. If product quality and pH and TTA are off standard, then start checking the other determinations to establish at what point in the process the pH and TTA deviates from standard. MISCELLANEOUS Question-Industry Data. I am interested in annual production figures for all types of bakery foods. Where can I obtain this information? Reply-The U.S. Census Bureau makes a comprehensive survey of many industries, including the baking industry, every five years and publishes the results in a series of bulletins. The latest census was in 1977, and reports are now available under the title 1977 Census of Manufacturers. This information can be obtained from any public library. Reports of particular interest to the

bakery foods industry include: Bread, Cake and Related Products, SIC 2051; Cookies and Crackers, SIC 2052; Frozen Specialties, SIC 2038; Flour and Other Grain Mill Products; Blended and Prepared Flour, SIC 2041, SIC 2045. In addition to being available at public libraries, individual bulletins may be purchased for 35C each by writing to: Subscriber Services (Publications) Bureau of Census Washington, D.C. 20233 SUMMARY Several of the many requests for assistance and the suggestions offered for solving the problems have been presented. This type of information is available to the bakery foods industry by writing to or calling: Manager, Technical Assistance, American Institute of Baking, 1213 Bakers Way, Manhattan, KS 66502, (913) 537-4720.

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