ADVANCED DOUGH HANDLING SYSTEMS
Suzanne Callander poses some questions to a variety of industry experts to shine a spotlight on some of today’s dough handling challenges and solutions.
OVERCOMING DOUGH Q
What dough handling challenges do bakery manufacturers face today and how can
technology help overcome them?
Ronald Hoiting, Marketing & Communications at Rademaker: Dough is a highly sensitive material, its texture, stickiness, and elasticity can change quickly depending on temperature, hydration, and ingredient variations. This makes consistent handling a complex task, especially as bakeries scale up production and diversify their product portfolios. One of the biggest challenges is
maintaining dough consistency across batches. Variations in raw materials or environmental conditions can lead to differences in dough behaviour, which
can affect product quality. The use of technologies such as sensor-based monitoring systems and adaptive process control can help detect and correct deviations in real time, ensuring greater stability. Another common issue is stickiness – particularly in clean-label or high-hydration doughs. Here, the use of non-stick coatings and advanced surface treatments on rollers and conveyors can help reduce downtime and waste caused by adhesion. Temperature management is also
important because dough properties can change with even small changes in temperature. Integrated cooling systems, combined with smart controls, can help maintain optimal dough temperature throughout production. Finally, quality consistency and hygiene remain key focus areas when it comes
HANDLING CHALLENGES
to dough handling and here automated inspection systems and hygienic machine design can help reduce contamination risk and cleaning time. The use of modern dough handling technology is enabling bakers to achieve greater precision, repeatability and efficiency, turning traditionally manual and experience-driven processes into data- controlled, automated systems that can help preserve dough integrity and ensure high-quality results at industrial scale.
Terry Bartsch, Executive Product Manager at AMF Fusion: Today’s bakery manufacturers face a range of challenges starting with ever more complex recipes. Gluten-free, high- protein, low-sugar, or allergen-free doughs require precise mixing, consistent hydration and careful handling to maintain texture and quality. High production volumes and fast-
26 • KENNEDY’S BAKERY PRODUCTION • OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2025
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