MIXING AND PROOFING


continuing to grow in the UK and Ireland, there is a corresponding increase in demand for high quality, flavourful products at scale. This type of bread frequently requires a long resting phase, which can pose challenges when needing to scale up production to meet growing demand. Steve Merritt at EPP believes that fully


automated mixing systems can offer a solution to meet this need. Explaining further, he says: “It can be challenging for artisan bakery producers when a significant increase in dough throughput per hour is needed and in recent years it has also become more difficult to recruit a workforce with the skillsets needed to carry out the work. Further, manual processing can result in variation in dough consistency and uniformity.” Arguing the case for fully automated


industrial mixing solutions, Steve explained that they help ensure consistent, repeatable dough production at scale. “Automated systems help ensure dough consistency, allowing bakers to maximise yield and return on investment. Dough is transported


AUTOMATED LINES WITH SUPERVISION AND FULL


PROCESS VISIBILITY ALLOW OPERATORS TO QUICKLY DETECT ISSUES, REDUCE


VARIABILITY, AND IMPROVE OVERALL EFFICIENCY


automatically either via an in-line system or a suspended shuttle, dependent on the needs of the application,” he says. Using an automated mixing solution,


one European bakery, for example, is now able to produce its artisan bread at volumes of over three tonnes an hour. The solution includes a bowl washing station which enables mixing bowls to be automatically scheduled to be cleaned.


Because there is no need for bowl removal or manual cleaning, this solution has offered both time and money savings. “Only one operator is required to run the system. Their role is to place minor ingredients into bowls at the start and to monitor the automatic process,” explains Steve. “It is also possible to achieve automation of an additional long fermentation stage with mixing bowls automatically stored in racks and then withdrawn for use in rotation. “ Discussing another EPP artisan bread


line project, Steve said that, traditionally, the bakery had required at least five staff to move bowls from one station to another. Automating the process resulted in the need for just one operator on the line. One carousel is used to weigh ingredients and mix the dough. A second carousel is used for final resting after mixing and an elevator is used to automatically transfer the dough to the line. “This line usually runs a single recipe for an extended time to maximise efficiency and to reduce downtime and cleaning,” says Steve. His final piece


FEBRUARY/MARCH 2026 • KENNEDY’S BAKERY PRODUCTION • 27


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40