KONTINUIERLICHE SAUERTEIGFERMENTATION MIT EINER 2-STUFIGEN PILOTANLAGE

Abstract

The mode of sour-dough fermentation is of great importance for the economics of bread production in both small and industrial bakeries. Onestage fermentation processes, which can be adapted to fit ideally the production coditions present in a small bakeries, have been developed in recent years. A similar process suitable for the industrial scale production of bread has not, as yet, been found because certain microbiological principles, baking requirements and also the special production conditions specific to bread-making in Germany all stand in the way of a simple solution. It should be pointed out that industrial production requires daily within a limited period large quantities of different types of sour-dough for baking a wide range of breads. For this reason, the practice up till now, in all German factories, has been to produce sour-dough in batches. A better solution to the problem is envisaged in a continuous sour-dough fermentation process. For this purpose a pilot fermenter have been built. The pilot fermenter is designed on the same principles as those of an industrial plant. It consists of a fermentation tube and tank. The dough which comes out of the first stage is led to a kneader in which it can be blended with various ground products to obtain doughs of varied composition. In the second stage, these doughs are then allowed to ripen to the required degree. Details of initial results obtained are outlined. During the continuous operation of both stages of the pilot plant, a sour-dough was produced with characteristics corresponding to those of sourdough produced with a similar industrial plant. Thus the results of the trial operation have established a standard procedure against which to compare all future fermentation tests.