Laying it on

During the next part of the process, the sheet enters a lapping laminator where a retractable conveyor folds the sheet to create multiple layers. Depending on the product, the number of total layers ranges from 18 to 24. After the initial lamination, the sheet travels through a third reducer station before riding along a resting belt for approximately 8 minutes. Afterward, the dough sheet is guided to a cut-sheet laminator where a guillotine slices the sheet into large squares and stacks them.

A multi-roller pressure system then reduces the stack to create a continuous, thin sheet, which glides to an overhead cooler. There, the sheet cascades down a Rademaker cooling and resting system, reducing in temperature from 15° to 4°C. That process firms up the butter and prevents it from melting as well as provides the dough time to rest and relax. In some cases, Bridor may change the temperature of the dough at this stage to manipulate the flavor profile of the final product. In other cases, the dough may cascade down three or five tiers, depending on the item’s specifications.

After going through a reduction station, cross-roller and three gauging stations to establish the final thickness of the sheet, a rotary cutter creates a row of seven individual triangular pieces that travel along diverging or finger conveyors that align them before entering the croissant roller. The rolled pieces pass through a turning device that rotates them 90° as they march toward the JBT Food Tech/Frigoscandia dual-spiral proofer. Pre-proofed products travel in that system for up to two hours — one hour on each spiral. During

Baking & Snack’s visit, however, Bridor was running raw frozen croissants so the pieces bypassed this stage of the process.

After conveying through a JBT spiral freezer, the dough pieces enter a dedicated De La Ballina ­packaging system that counts, bags and casepacks the frozen products.

With the installation of the new croissant line, the Servon-sur-Vilaine bakery has finally run out of space — even for many of the management team members housed in the facility’s cramped offices. Earlier this year, Groupe Le Duff began building a new office complex in nearby Rennes where it plans to relocate its headquarters from Paris.