FEATURE


weights which have been inevitable up to now and can result from inconsistent dough ageing with the batch type system and the resultant varying influences on the down stream production system,” added Lehnen. The second feature is the separation of the mixing of the


ingredients and kneading of the dough, reducing energy requirements by 30 per cent, while the yield increases at the same time. “The main field of application of the Codos System is single


lines which produce baked goods around the clock. Modifications to the recipe can be easily carried out,” explained Lehnen. “When the processes involved in the production of dough are


analysed, along with the requirements typical for production in large bakeries, the result is, inevitably, the demand for a continuous operating system for the production of dough. “However, this has been not necessarily been achieved due to


often inconsistent mixing and kneading requirements.” The company’s development engineers came up with two


separate units for these two stages of dough production – the Codos Mixer CBH and the Codos Kneader CK. A dry ingredient mixer is installed upstream of these two units


and it serves to produce a premix of flour and other ingredients. The Codos System is equipped with continuous metering and


scaling devices for all recipe components including liquids. “This,” said Lehnen, ”is an important pre-requisite for the high


quality and consistency of doughs produced by this system. The system controls, supervises all sequences and thus enables an automated operation.” It is then the task of the Codos Mixer to process the dry premix


and all other ingredients of the dough in a very short period of time into a mixture that is free from lumps. The required water is mixed from mains, warm and chilled


water. The operating system automatically regulates the required water temperature depending on the required dough temperature. Special, interlocking, helical double-shaft mixing


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tools ensure gentle mixing and optimum wetting of all recipe components. During the mixing process, the flour is perfectly hydrated so


that the biochemical processes are started immediately. The highly efficient mixing process results in an increased


absorption of water, which in turn delays the ageing process of the products and extends the shelf life. A conveyor belt transfers the raw materials homogenised in the


Codos Mixer to the Codos Kneader and this belt provides a dough resting time of 2 to 5 minutes during which the raw materials can bulk ferment and support the dough development. The separation of the dough production into mixing, with


negligible energy supply, and kneading with a targeted energy input, results in a lower total energy consumption. On a different tack, Jim Warren, director of ExACT Mixing, a


division of Reading Bakery Systems, said: “While older ovens may have deteriorated over time, or do not boast today’s technology, replacement is not the only solution. Supplying dough to the system which does not place the same


demand on the oven can extend an oven’s useful life.” An oven’s ability to maintain a consistent temperature while


adjusting quickly to necessary heat changes can degrade over time. Combine this with the less sophisticated technology of older models and you can easily end up with an oven that produces inconsistent, low-quality products. Resorting to upgrading controls and burners, or even the


whole oven, has often been the only option. But Warren believes the answer lies in creating a more consistent dough. He said: “By reducing variation in dough moisture – even the


cyclical change in hydration from beginning to end of batch – the oven is no longer required to make rapid adjustments to maintain temperature in a changing internal environment. “The result is more consistent finished product properties


because the oven does not fluctuate in response to the changes in the dough nor struggle to do so because of its age.” n


European Baker Magazine - Digital Digest • www.worldbakers.com 6­


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