Quality in Every Slice, Flavor in Every Touch: Quality Control in Bread Volume
Quality in Every Slice, Flavor in Every Touch: Quality Control in Bread Volume
MSc. Food Engineer, Rabia Tiryaki
The unique heritage provided by the soil, and wheat, the fundamental staple for humans, has held a significant place in our nutrition for thousands of years. In Turkey, the importance of grains and grain products in both consumption habits and the economy is considerable. Our fascination with wheat goes beyond traditional dietary habits and is rooted in Anatolia's nature as the genetic center, as determined near Karacadağ slopes, close to Urfa Göbeklitepe—the world's first settlement 12,000 years ago.
Bread, a staple in many cultures, holds a prominent place on our tables. The transformation of wheat into bread is an adventure that spans from the field to the table. Each stage is carefully managed to preserve the value and flavor of wheat. After harvesting in spring or autumn, wheat, having completed its maturation process, is gathered by harvest machines. The harvested wheat is stored for further processing.
Stored wheat undergoes cleaning and sorting processes where foreign materials and unwanted seeds are separated, ensuring only high-quality wheat is processed. The cleaned wheat is subjected to milling, turning it into flour. This stage separates starch, protein, and fiber within the wheat. The obtained flour is mixed with water and other ingredients to form dough. Yeast is added at this stage, and the dough is left to rise. Kneading and shaping follow, and the fermentation of the dough is a crucial stage in bread formation. The dough rises, increases in volume, and the delightful aroma of bread emerges. The fermented dough is then baked in an oven at a specific temperature, allowing the bread crust to form and the interior to cook.
The freshly baked bread is ready to grace our tables. But how is quality control ensured in the total volume of bread?
Careful selection of wheat, correct milling of flour, and perfect fermentation of the dough contribute to the volume of bread, reflecting its quality. Various quality control analyses and measurements are conducted to determine the total volume of bread. These analyses evaluate product quality at each stage of bread production, aiming to achieve the desired characteristics.
Determining the total volume of bread provides information about its rising ability, the dough's gas retention capacity, and structural features. Assessing bread volume is crucial for evaluating the quality of flour and dough, determining the product recipe and processing requirements, ensuring consumer satisfaction, managing production efficiency and cost control effectively, evaluating quality control processes, and complying with industry standards. If flour or additives are used, their inspection is also crucial.
Bastak Instruments, operating for a quarter of a century in the field of research and development as the first and only center in its field, has produced the specialized Bread Volume Meter 13300 device. This device is designed to measure the volume of baked bread and various irregular solid foods. The formulation of bread, component quality, dough processing, gas retention, and processing conditions are among the information it provides. The device is not only used for process control in the production of bakery products but also for quality control observations and food analysis applications.
Operating based on AACC International Method 10-05.01 principles, the Bastak 13300 Model Bread Volume Meter relies on the tested grain to be equivalent to the volume of the tested bakery products. The measurement chamber is turned downwards for the test, and seed transfer is performed for the displacement until it reaches the zero level. Transfers should be done holding the transfers at a 90° angle. After zero adjustment, the measurement chamber is turned upward. The sample to be measured (bread, bun, etc.), positioned in a way that allows the seeds to easily surround it, is placed into the device. After placement, the closed device is rotated 180°. Subsequently, the volume of the seeds in the transfer tube can be easily read in cubic centimeters (cm3 or cc).
For determining bread volume, the most advanced and accurate method currently available is the 13300 Model Bread Volume Meter. With its repeatable and precise volume analysis, simple, easy, and fast usage, operator-independent measurements, and compatibility with AACC Standards, the device is a crucial tool to optimize production processes and offer consumers high-quality and delicious bread.
As Bastak Instruments, we provide reliability and performance to our customers worldwide, from Botswana to Japan, South Korea to Sri Lanka, and Indonesia to Taiwan. We not only manufacture quality control devices but also respond to our customers' unique needs by offering customized solutions.
