A growing number of frozen dough makers are cleaning up their ingredient statements. For many bakeries, a top priority is replacing common dough conditioners and emulsifiers, such as DATEM (and monoglycerides).

“We’ve found that the same solution that works in retail bread, combining one of our premium lecithins with the right enzymes, can be successful in frozen dough, too,” said Matt Gennrich, senior food technologist, bakery applications, Cargill.

Customized enzyme-based frozen dough conditioners assist with water activity in frozen dough, said Alex Peña, director of product development and technical services, Bellarise. They may help prevent frozen doughs from drying out and thereby extend shelf life. Semi-dry yeast systems assist with extending frozen shelf life by extending life of the gassing activity in the frozen dough.

The company offers a clean label dough conditioner crafted specifically for use in frozen dough. Added at 1% of the formula, it is declared on the ingredient statement as simply “wheat flour, ascorbic acid and natural enzymes.”

Bellarise offers another ingredient that can be used at a 2% usage rate and only contains wheat flour and natural enzymes. This product is specific to freezer-to-oven frozen doughs.

“It’s perfect for bakeries that don’t use proof boxes and work with laminated doughs, such as croissants and cinnamon rolls,” Mr. Peña said.

This article is an excerpt from the April 2020 issue of Baking & Snack. To read the entire feature, click here.