Getting to know you
Matching up divider to dough first requires the product and equipment to get acquainted with each other. John Giacoio, vice-president, sales, Rheon, observed that true bread bakers often know just what to look for when shopping the divider market.
“If someone asks, ‘What will (the divider) do or not do to the dough?’ that’s an insightful question,” he said. “It leads me to believe they know what they’re looking for in terms of cell structure and things like that.”
Changing from one divider type to another could be a huge step. Before taking that leap, bakers should consider factors such as protein strength, conditioners and other ingredients, said Angel Sanchez, product manager, make-up group, Stewart Systems.
“Certain types of formulations may require slower flow of the dough through an extrusion divider, which can directly affect the output speed and scaling accuracy,” he explained.
Additionally, water content is the big factor when it comes to dividing. A soft, high-moisture dough needs a bit more care in the divider than a low-moisture or stiffer pan bread dough. Knowing the caveats of the product formulation is one thing, but it’s not enough. A baker must understand how the machine can work with those types, and technology advances just might upend assumptions about which dividers are perfectly matched for certain products.
“Dividers that can handle both soft and hard doughs can vary,” said Rich Wall, general manager, sales and marketing, Sottoriva America. “We are handling soft doughs like brioche, Chinese steam buns and conchas, as well as stiffer doughs like Italian rolls, Kaiser rolls pita bread and pizza dough.”
When it comes to getting to know a divider, versatility plays an important role.
Some bakers would not introduce a stress-free divider to a low-moisture dough, but Mr. Giacoio explained that Rheon systems can suit a wide range of product lines.
“We have customers who say, ‘I want to do a ciabatta, but I also have to do a rye bread,’ ” he said, “and I tell them our divider works great on that side, as well.”
Mr. Giacoio asserted that along with products that require high hydration and long floor times, Rheon dividers also handle lower hydration bread as well.
