Dough piece resting

After division of the dough following the mixing process, with most doughs it is necessary to leave the dough to rest to ensure best moulding or rounding process.

• Unlike the basic solution to leave the dough to rest on a bench or trays in racks, proofing in a manual proofer offers many advantages.
   
• The main asset is space saving.  In a limited space, it is possible to store up to 400 dough balls. This space saving is even more important when the moulder is placed on the top of the proofer.
   
• Another asset is comfort compared to the solution of placing on trays which are stored on a trolley. The operator does not have to bend down to place and take out the heavy trays on the trolley. The operator has all dough pieces at working level providing ideal ergonomics for this process.
   
• Lastly, in terms of hygiene and respect of the dough; the dough pieces do not get a skin, unlike the solution that places them on a table or work unit.
   
• The operator picks up the dough pieces divided thanks to the hydraulic divider and places them manually in the proofer. Depending on the model purchased, the operator can put 6 to 10 dough pieces per pocket and some can have as many as 40 pockets. After the desired resting time, the baker will individually take the dough pieces and will place them in the moulder, located in front of him on the proofer.

The semi automatic proofers offer the same advantages than a manual proofer with the only difference that after proofing, the dough pieces go automatically into the moulder.

• This represents important time saving and also comfort for the baker who no longer has to take the dough pieces one by one to introduce them manually in the moulder.

• There are 2 types of semi automatic proofers :

  - Those with an integrated moulder

  - Those with a moulder outside the proofer

  In the case of the moulder integrated with the proofer, the main asset is space saving because the moulder goes inside the proofer.

But in the case of a moulder outside the proofer, even if space saving is important, this solution allows for more productivity because 2 operators can work at the same time.

• Indeed, when a baker divides the dough pieces with the hydraulic divider and places them manually in the pockets of the proofer, the other operator can pick up the moulded dough balls that have been introduced automatically in the moulder.

The automatic proofing chambers offer even more productivity because they are connected to automatic dividers.

• In this lay out, the operators now only have to load the dough in the hopper of the divider and then the dough pieces are introduced one by one in the proofer by an automatic loading device. Then, after proofing, the dough balls will go automatically into the moulder. All the operator has to do is pick them up from the reception belt and place them in trays. There are some models that can also deposit the dough balls straight in the baking trays.
   

• There are 2 types of automatic proofers :

  - Static proofers
  - Dynamic proofers

  The main asset for static proofers is that they offer great proving because the dough pieces do not change pockets between loading and unloading. It is the upmost solution to ease elongation of the dough pieces in the moulder without damaging the dough. This type of proofer is highly recommended for the production of baguettes so that the dough doesn't get stressed and so that it is possible to get long moulded dough pieces. But on the hand, the loading device that loads 5-8 dough balls in single line is more expensive that the loader for dynamic proofers.
   
• There are 2 ways to shape the dough balls before introduction in the static proofer :
  - There is either a pre rounding step or a pre elongation step. The main goal of this step in dough processing is to make sure the dough pieces that come out of the automatic divider are of regular shape, before their automatic loading in the proofer. This operation gives strength to the dough, which will help towards a good development in the fermentation chamber and in the oven.
  - Rounding can be done on the exit belt of the volumetric divider or in a conical rounder. It is recommended for dough pieces that are to be short length in terms of moulding or for country style round breads for example.
   
• On the other hand, for long breads like baguettes for example, it is better to pre elongate the dough pieces rather than pre rounding them. Indeed it puts the gluten in the right way to achieve long baguettes during moulding, without having to finish off to elongate by hand or having to laminate them or degassing too much in the moulder. This solution really highlights the respect of the dough and the elongation of the dough pieces.
   
• As for the dynamic proofers, they are more economical because the system to deposit the dough pieces between the automatic divider and the pockets of the proofer is very simple. Indeed, the dough pieces are loaded one by one into the proofer. There is no loading device.  But the dough pieces will change pockets a few times between loading and exit of the proofer.
   
• This solution is recommended for the production of breads with big weight and a rather short moulding. It is the case for example for English breads, Northern Europe breads and Eastern Europe breads like sandwich loaf bread, rye bread, multi grain bread etc.