6 new technologies in the baking industry

While it may seem like magic, baking is much more of an exact science – exact measurements, chemical reactions, and precise techniques are the cornerstones of good baking. 

And like any other science, new technologies are constantly pushing the limits of what’s possible in the baking industry. 

Whether you’re the owner of a baking business or you’re just doing research for a new bakery, here are six new technologies in the baking industry that you should know about:

1. 3D bread quality x-rays.
2. Continuous mixing technology.
3. Vacuum cooling chambers. 
4. Digital humidity sensors. 
5. Wire Cut machines. 
6. Hydro bond technology. 

This article will take a look at all the latest tech in the baking industry. But for more information about the operational side of running a baking business, try our other articles:

• How to start a bakery from home. 
• How to promote a home baking business.
• Bookkeeping tips for a small baking business. 

When producing large amounts of bread for wholesale use, it’s difficult to know exactly what’s happening inside the loaf. The biggest problem for bread makers is when holes form because of a mistake in the fermentation process. If holes do develop, the bread isn’t an acceptable level of quality because it’s too difficult to work with later on. 

To solve that problem, Biometic has pioneered 3D X-ray food inspection technology. It works by scanning the bread and rendering a 3D digital model that shows imperfections inside. 

Combined with an automated rejection process, unacceptable loaves can be detected and removed from the production line, ensuring that only the best quality products leave the bakery. 

Precision is key in baking, and continuous mixing technology allows you to mix vast quantities of dough (non-stop) with incredible accuracy. 

The mixers come in a number of sizes, depending on your needs, from 50 to 10,000 kg/hour. The whole process can be monitored and operated from a control system, allowing bakers to mix anything they need and make adjustments quickly and easily.  

There’s really no better way to ensure a consistent product throughout the working day for a busy baking business. 

While it’s not necessarily a new technology, vacuum cooling has been getting more attention over the past few years. It offers an alternative to traditional cooling methods that are inefficient and potentially harmful to the final product. 

Traditionally, cooling baked goods is a matter of leaving them on a rack or cooling tunnel after leaving the oven. But those methods take time, and the act of moisture leaving the baked goods can compromise their quality. 

Vacuum cooling solves that problem by extracting moisture and heat much faster than before. After leaving the oven, the baked goods are placed in a vacuum chamber. Because of the increased pressure, the boiling point for water changes from 100°C to 30°C, causing the moisture in the baked goods to evaporate more easily. 

The products cool down much faster than usual, meaning they’re ready for packaging – then the next batch can be cooled. Vacuum cooling cuts down the whole baking time by a significant amount, allowing higher production levels. 

Maintaining the correct humidity levels inside an oven is crucial for good baking. And the latest generation of sensors developed by SCORPION® 2 provides the most accurate digital readouts of humidity in ovens, proofers, dryers, and cooling tunnels. 

The digital display shows you accurate readouts and works with just about anything. Once you’ve got the perfect humidity, you can produce better all-around baked goods that are more consistent, higher quality, and longer-lasting. 

Like many items on this list, wire cutting isn’t anything new. But the latest generation of wire cutting machines can take biscuit production to a whole new level of speed and consistency. 

With a touchscreen interface, you can easily control the wires to create any designs you want at any number of weights and quantities. The level of accuracy and control combined with the sheer speed of the automated process allows you to cut a vast amount of goods with consistent results.  

There are a lot of ways to go wrong in baking, even before you put anything in the oven. And one of the easiest places to trip up is while mixing the dough. 

Hydro bond technology allows you to make a perfect dough every time by evenly hydrating the entire mixture, without adding any heat, before it even enters the mixer. 

The result is a shorter mixing time, more even moisture distribution, and less energy wasted. 

While you’re on the lookout for new technology to improve your business, you can’t do much better than Countingup – the business current account with built-in accounting software that allows you to manage all your financial data in one place. 

Countingup is the perfect partner for small baking businesses thanks to a range of useful features, like:

• Cash flow insights – See accurate cash flow information with no data lag, then use that information to create long-term profit and loss projections. 
• Recipt capture tools and tax estimates – Take a quick photo of your receipts and store them on the app, where they’re automatically organised into HMRC approved categories, saving you loads of time when reporting business expenses. 

You can also share your bookkeeping with your accountant instantly without worrying about duplication errors, data lags or inaccuracies. Seamless, simple, and straightforward! 

Start your three-month free trial today. 

Find out more here.