Alternative bread process to improve quality and cut costs

Research institute Campden BRI has partnered with equipment firm Rondo to commercialise an alternative bread process that it claims can improve bread quality and reduce costs for manufacturers.

The Radical Bread Process (RBP) has the potential to improve bread quality compared to the conventional Chorleywood Bread Process, according to Campden.

Potential using cheaper flours

Gary Tucker, head of baking and cereal processing at Campden, said: “The real potential is that you can use it with lower quality flours.”

He said that Campden had made breads with cheaper biscuit grade flour and produced products that were to a high-standard.

Tucker said this could potentially reduce the cost of raw ingredients significantly.

How it works

The RBP process involves two steps: sheeting and cutting.

Firstly dough development takes place through a sheeting operation, as opposed to mixing which allows gas cells to be disc-shaped rather than forming small spheres.

Secondly, instead of the dough being moulded as it is in the Chorleywood process, the dough is cut.

The cut dough is then placed in a tin so the gas cells are aligned in the same direction.

When the dough proofs up each of the gas cells become longer, which Campden has said gives the final product a unique structure.

Improved quality

“Radical loaves are characterised by very shallow cells. As you cut through the bread there is little shadowing, so the bread is very white,” said Tucker.

He added that the higher number of gas cells allowed for greater softness. The process gives straight sides to the bread, which could be very important to the sandwich market, continued Tucker.

Energy savings

Dough processing with the alternative process is thought to take around 10-15 minutes longer than the traditional method. However, energy savings may be possible.

Campden has estimated that an industrial scale RBP would use 3.66 less watt hours per loaf compared to the Chorleywood process.

Story behind the development

In 2008, Campden set out to design an alternative to the Chorleywoood Bread Process, which has been used for over 50 years.

It sought to develop an alternative that would use less energy, provide greater product consistency, lower costs and reduce product variability By 2010, Campden believed it had neared its goal and patent the first Radical Bread Process privately before taking the technology to the industry.

It invited around 11 European bread manufacturers to see a prototype of the process.

“The level of interest was very high but the uptake was very low,” explained Tucker.

He said that since Campden was not an equipment company and could not supply the process, companies were reluctant to invest.

Partnership and dates

Campden then sought to partner with an equipment firm. It had interest from two “very major” European equipment companies, before signing an agreement with sheet blah Rondo late last year.

Rondo already produces the sheeting systems used in the first part of the RBP has multiple patents on the process.

Tucker said Rondo may seek to partner with an ultrasonic or waterjet cutting supplier to complete the second cutting stage of the RBP.

Commercial scale equipment is expected by mid-2013.

Source: Campden BRI