FROM GRAIN TO BREAD
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The Bakery Innovation Center (BIC) at Bühler, established in 2011, provides vocational training for bakers and millers, adapting its courses to meet market demands. With plans to expand to a full training center by 2017, BIC offers knowledge on flour characteristics and baking without additives, catering to both small and large companies. The center also emphasizes the importance of understanding production processes and is expanding its offerings to include a new application center for comprehensive baking courses.
FROM GRAIN TO BREAD
- 1. T he Bakery Innovation Center (BIC) at the Bühler headquarters is now five years old. As a center for vocational training and further education for bakers and millers, it is very popular. To meet the changing needs of customers and the market, the selection of courses is being consistently adapted. By the beginning of 2017 the BIC will become the training center for the entire production of industrial bakery goods. Even though mankind has been processing flour for thousands of years, it is still a demanding task. “Grain is a living, organic raw material,” says Dr Markus Schirmer, head of the Bakery Innovation Center from Bühler in Uzwil, Switzerland. “Because no kernel is exactly like another, the individual flour batches also vary from one to the other. Small bakeries can adjust to this because the baker uses his experience to compensate for the differences in the raw material. “But for large companies that need highly automated and standardized solutions, this variability presents great challenges.” From grain to bread Bühler founded the Bakery Innovation Center as a part of its research and training complex at its headquarters in 2011 in order to provide its customers with the tools necessary for such complex tasks. Under the motto ‘From Grain to Bread’, Bühler know-how is integrated along the entire added value chain in the course topics. “Our standard courses explain the influence of grinding on the quality of baked goods, provide an introduction into the ‘secrets’ of producing industrial bakery products and impart knowledge about the use of sponges and sourdoughs.” Needs of the course participants “Our course participants want to learn what settings they need to change on their machines and systems in order to obtain the same end product with varying raw materials,” says Dr Schirmer, summarising the needs of course visitors. “But industrially-produced bread should not only always taste the same. “Increasingly, the quality of artisanal baked goods is being sought. The focus of the courses is therefore on teaching basic knowledge about the interaction of recipes and technology that At the Bakery Innovation Center, Bühler know-how is integrated along the entire added value chain by Dr Markus Schirmer, Head of Bakery Innovation Center, Grain Milling, Bühler AG, Switzerland 44 | October 2016 - Milling and Grain F
- 2. happens before the actual baking process. “This basic knowledge is required for understanding the complex processes of manufacturing industrial bakery products. “Only someone who has the basic knowledge can develop ideas for new products and processes and respond to problems in production,” says Dr Schirmer. Eliminating additives The knowledge provided at BIC is not only for bakers, but also of interest for millers. The trend towards baking without additives puts more weight on the grinding process, according to Dr Schirmer, who is himself a master baker and holds a doctorate in engineering. What was previously controlled through additives in the baking process must now be done through the characteristics of the flour. For example, the pressure of the rolls can be used to adjust the modification of the starch. This in turn affects water absorption of the flour which then has an influence on the freshness of the bread. The more moisture in the bread, the longer it stays fresh. Sponges and sourdoughs can create additional advantages. Such indirect dough versions contain more water, form natural aromas and stay fresh longer. Quality fluctuations here can only be avoided by accurate analyses, sufficient expertise or highly automated processes, he adds. Expansion of course offerings BIC’s course offerings are constantly being expanded and cover the manufacture of industrial baked goods to laboratory analyses of flour and bread quality to saving on costs by optimising flour quality. A new intensive training course is being added for those interested in becoming an ‘industrial baker’. Over a period of three weeks, a condensed overview of all topics - from milling to laboratory analyses to enzymatic influences on bread - is presented. In addition, topics such as planning a bakery, key figures, principles of food safety and hygienic design, to name just a few, are included in the program. This ‘crash course’ for the ‘Industrial Baker’ is aimed primarily at young managers who wish to gain an overview of the fundamentals of baking. Milling and Grain - October 2016 | 45 F www.hydronix.comenquiries@hydronix.com Digital Microwave Moisture Measurement Reduce Energy Costs - Reduce Waste - Improve Quality Hydro-Mix Sensor Hydronix Ducting System with a Hydro-Mix sensor installed NEW To make installation of our sensor even easier, Hydronix has designed a ducting system specifically for grain, rice and pulses. Available in both round and square ducting and with vertical or angled options, the system diverts a portion of the main flow of material across the sensor head providing the most accurate, real time moisture measurement available. Installing a Hydronix digital moisture sensor into your process is a simple and cost effective way to accurately control your dryer and to improve the quality of your final product: • Digital technology with precise linear output • Easy integration into new or existing systems • Install in silos, conveyors or before / after dryers • Wide moisture measurement range • Not affected by dust or colour • Temperature stable • Local service & support Milling and Grain half page horizontal 190 x 132 plus 3mm bleed.indd 1 07/09/2016 08:34:38
- 3. Success story Considering how complex the subject matter of baking is, it’s no wonder that BIC enjoys such popularity. “With five to 10 customers per week, we are almost always fully booked,” says Dr Schirmer. Over 1000 people have taken part in almost 100 courses which have been carried out in Uzwil so far. However, knowledge transfer is not only going on in full swing in Uzwil. The Bühler training centers in South Africa, China and India are also well visited. Courses are even being offered in external schools or as a company course to be in closer proximity to customers. This not only saves travel costs for the customer; more importantly, Bühler’s local presence means that it understands the local market and can offer regional-specific expertise. In Europe, the trends are more customer-driven while in Africa or Latin America they are often regulated by the government. “Nigeria, for example, requires that cassava flour be added to wheat bread to help the country become more independent of imports,” points out. For such regulations, Bühler not only supplies the technology but also helps customers to develop recipes in order to be as productive as possible. Expansion to include an Application Center The Bühler Bakery Innovation Center will be expanded to an Application Center over the next few months. Starting in 2017, courses on the complete production process for baked goods will be held. “We will be able to offer courses covering everything that concerns the production of industrial bakery goods in our new Application Center – from handling the raw material over the mixer to the oven,” says Dr Schirmer: When it is completed, not only classes will be held here. BIC will be available to Bühler customers for testing new recipes as well. www.buhlergroup.com/bic About the author Dr Markus Schirmer leads the Bakery Innovation Center at Bühler headquarters in Uzwil, Switzerland. His professional background helps him function as a link between technology and baking production. As a master baker, Dr Schirmer also completed an engineering degree as well as master degree and then did a doctorate in grain process engineering at the Technical University of Munich with the topic ‘A novel approach for structural analysis of high viscose starch based products during heating’. In addition to his managerial tasks at Bühler, Dr Schirmer is active in the German Baking Industry Association (Vereinigung der Backbranche, VDB), board member of the C&E Association, the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG), the Weihenstephaner Institute for Grain Research (Weihenstephaner Institut für Getreideforschung, WIG) and is a bread sensor technician for the German Agricultural Society (DLG). bit.ly/grapas For more information and to register visit: ORGANISEDBY AONE-DAY CONFERENCE FORMILLERS FOOD,FLOUR&RICEMILLING FOCUS: 3• Rawmaterials,additivesandproduct development • Technologicaldevelopmentsinthemilling industry • Challengesfacingthefoodindustry 2017 JUNE13,2017 COLOGNEMESSE,COLOGNE GRAPASisofferingthosesupplyingproducts andservicestomillersworkinginthefood sectortopresenttheirlatesttechnological developments CALLFORPAPERS PartoftheFVGSelect2017event,13&14June,2017, Cologne,Germany OnlineregistrationwillopenonOctober1,2016 SESSIONS 46 | October 2016 - Milling and Grain F