Description

Sour dough

Daxner installed 10 additional fermentation tanks with a capacity of 2,500 l which continuously supply production with sour dough. First of all the individual components must be mixed in one of the two 2,000 l mixers. Like the fermentation tanks the mixers also have a 3-wall outer cover. Therefore, if all fermentation tanks are filled, they can be converted into a storage location. This increases the flexibility of production.

First of all the required quantity of flour or coarse meal is weighed and then added through a direct connection to the mixer. A separate pipe is also installed for the necessary water. Also linked to the mixers are the two tanks in which the storage leaven is produced separately and stored. When all components are in place the mixer starts to move and mixes the individual ingredients thoroughly.

Then the sour dough is pumped into an empty tank for fermentation. A dedicated extraction pipe is available for each type in order to avoid any cross-mixing. The fermentation tanks are also naturally equipped with a stirring discharger to keep the rising sour dough moving and thus to reduce the volume. The sour dough is then transported by type through further separated pipes to the weighing stations where smaller storage tanks are installed and from which the sour dough and other liquid components may be requested. This action speeds up the weighing, because the individual ingredients do not have to be transported long pipe distances.

Wheat sponge

The bakers require about 45 t of wheat sponge per day which are prepared in a Daxner system. Two weighing scales operating one behind the other ensure the batch supply of the pre-dough mixer with flour. Whilst the required volume is being weighed in the upper weighing scale, the lower weighing scale can simultaneously supply the pre-dough mixer.

The liquid components of the wheat sponge are continuously made available and transported via the relevant connections to the mixing screw which generates a homogeneous mass. The wheat sponge then arrives in the fermentation tanks via a system of pumps and pipelines. After the fermentation period in the tanks the system pumps the wheat sponge into the 6,000 l capacity storage tanks. During this process a plate heat exchanger is interconnected and which cools down the wheat sponge by over 20 °C to the desired storage temperature. The whole system is time and temperature controlled and may be operated and controlled both by a control unit directly on the system and via the computer in the production office.

Cleaning is very important both for sour dough and for wheat sponge in order to avoid any subsequent spontaneaus fermentations. The respective tanks are cleaned with an automatic cleaning programme and the pipelines with a pig – pipe cleaning system. The system guides residues through the relevant pipes into the available drainage outlets.

Conclusion

Sour dough, wheat sponge and the processing of soakers give the bakery products their specific character manifested in a long freshness period and an individual aroma. These quality components are also attractive from a cost perspective since their use enables the use of baking agents to be reduced. Another factor in this success story is the flexible production process which is able to accommodate individual customer requests. To achieve these the modern technology in use is enhanced by manual activities in specific places.

The product range covers 35 g party rolls to large loaves. 500 employees work 24/7 on 13 production lines to produce the bakery products. The core competency of the company is the production of bread and bread rolls. Most of the production is frozen, either as pre-fermented dough or part-baked. The 9,000 industry standard range capacity of the deep freeze store enables production to produce large volumes which can then be buffered in the store.