BakerybenchIngredients
What a bakery can make is decided before the first mix, by the raw materials it buys. This section is about flour, water, yeast, salt, sugar and fat, and about what to check before you order: the flour specification, the certificate of analysis, the fat for laminated dough and the nutrition data you need for costing and allergen planning.
The basic ingredients
The principal ingredients of bread are flour, yeast, salt and water (Federation of Bakers). Sugar, fat and milk are optional additions that change flavour, colour and softness. The formulas in the Production section show every one of them as a percentage of the flour, so you can compare doughs of very different richness on the same scale.
Each ingredient does more than one job. Water is needed for gluten to form and dissolves and distributes salt, sugar and yeast. Salt gives flavour, strengthens the gluten structure and plays a part in yeast fermentation (BAKERpedia). Fat keeps the bread soft for longer, even when it is used in very small amounts (Federation of Bakers).
Flour: what a specification contains
A flour specification states what the mill has to deliver. According to the American Society of Baking, it usually contains analytical limits for quality parameters such as moisture, protein, ash and damaged starch, microbiological limits, the test methods that are accepted, and the action to take when a result is out of specification. Mill and bakery set it together, and it is usually shared during supply negotiations and when the wheat crop changes (ASBE: Flour Spec Sheet). Flour that does not match the specification can cause problems with water absorption, dough handling and yeast activity (same source).
| Parameter | What it tells you | Why a baker cares |
|---|---|---|
| Moisture | How much of the delivered weight is water | Extra moisture means paying for water and readjusting the water at the mixer (Baking Business) |
| Protein | The amount of protein, mainly gluten-forming protein | Influences dough strength and water absorption, but not the quality of the protein (Flour Info) |
| Ash | The mineral content left after burning a sample | Shows the extraction rate: higher ash means more of the outer grain layers in the flour (Flour Info) |
| Falling number | The activity of the enzyme alpha-amylase | A lower number means more enzyme activity (Baking Business) |
| Water absorption | How much water the flour takes up in a standard test | If it changes from lot to lot, dough consistency changes and the water has to be adjusted (Baking Business) |
| Damaged starch | Starch granules damaged during milling | Affects water absorption and handling. More is not automatically better (Baking Business) |
| Mixing tolerance (MTI) | A farinograph value for how a dough reacts to mixing | Helps explain changes on the line that protein does not (Baking Business) |
The full guide How to Read a Flour Specification and Certificate of Analysis goes through each number, shows a real specification as an example and lists questions for your mill.
Read the certificate of analysis against the specification
The specification is the target. The certificate of analysis (COA) is the test result for the lot that arrived. Compare every COA with the specification and with the results of earlier lots. Protein is often the first number people look at, but two flours with similar protein can behave differently in the bakery, and one number alone rarely explains a change in production (Baking Business).
A simple habit helps: write the lot number next to any water adjustment, change in mixing time or handling problem. When a dough starts to behave differently, you can then check the flour data against your process notes. Rye flours deserve a closer look than wheat flours, because they are less standardised, and rye doughs react more strongly to changes in temperature and fermentation.
Fat for laminated dough
The fat in croissants and other laminated doughs has to be firm enough to form layers and soft enough to move with the dough. The American Society of Baking names two key purchasing parameters for laminating fats: the melting point and the temperature range of plasticity (ASBE: Croissant). A fat that is too hard can break and tear the dough, and a fat that is too soft is absorbed into it. Butter works only in a narrow temperature range of about 15–20 °C, while shortening laminates over a wider range (Physics Today). See the croissant formula for the working values of a butter dough.
Nutrition data for costing and allergen planning
The Bakery Ingredients Database gives protein, fat, carbohydrate, energy, fibre, sodium and water per 100 g for 41 common bakery ingredients. All values come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's FoodData Central, and every row shows the USDA identification number so you can check the original record. Every flour, egg, milk product, nut and seed on the list is also a possible allergen, which is covered in the guide on allergen labeling.
Before you buy: a short checklist
- Ask the supplier for a written specification and, with every delivery, a certificate of analysis.
- Compare each certificate with the specification and with the last lots, and keep the records.
- Ask for the allergen status of every new ingredient and update your allergen matrix before the first production.
- Run a test bake with a new flour or fat before you switch the whole production.
- Check how the ingredient has to be stored, and at what temperature.
For the business side of buying, see How to Start a Bakery Business. Shelf life and mold risk of the finished product are covered in Shelf Life, Mold and Water Activity.
Sources
- American Society of Baking: Flour Spec Sheet
- Baking Business: Pro Tip, Read the COA to better understand your flour
- Baking Business: Pro Tip, Understanding flour quality leads to better bread quality
- Flour Info (New Zealand): Flour Quality Indicators
- Federation of Bakers: How bread is made and fact sheet FS 7
- BAKERpedia: Baking Bread guide
- American Society of Baking: Croissant
- Physics Today: The fat in a perfect croissant (2018)