Dough processing

The division of the dough allows you to obtain dough pieces of the desired weight. In order to preserve the dough honeycomb structure, it is important to choose a solution that limits excessive degassing.
MERAND offers several solutions for dividing your dough :

- Hydraulic dividers and divider-shapers
- Volumetric dividers
- Automatic dividers
- Divider-rounders

This operation consists in letting the dough rest between dividing and shaping. The relaxation will favour the elongation in the shaper without the need to stress the dough too much during the rolling and elongation in the machine. The dough will retain all its properties even better.
The resting time is variable. It depends on the products to be baked, the nature of the dough, the type of production (fresh/frozen, etc.), the ambient temperature, the shape of the dough pieces after division, etc.
Semi-automatic resting proofers offer the same advantages as manual proofer. The difference is that the dough is automatically fed into the shaping machine after the resting process.
The automatic resting chambers offer even greater productivity as they are connected to automatic dividing and weighing machines.

The shaping takes place in 3 distinct stages, all of which are very important:

•A nice curly shape (so that the flat shape curls up well) thanks to a heavy belt or a chainmail belt.
•Final elongation to get the elongation, laminations and the desired aspect of the baguette or breads.
• The final stretching to obtain the desired length and appearance of the baguette or bread.

The rounding process allows the restructuring of the dough's glutinous network and the increase the strength of the dough pieces. Depending on the characteristics of the dough, the dough pieces are tightened more or less strongly.

Pre-rolling is mainly done with 3 types of machines :

• Pre-rounding tiles
• Belt rounding machines
• Conical rounding machines

Pelleting after stress relief is mainly done with 2 types of machines:

• Conical rounding machines
• Eccentric rounding machines

Scarification consists of automatically cutting the dough pieces with a blade called a "grigne". This operation takes place after fermentation, just before loading the dough into the oven. The grigne is a very important stage as it directly influences the appearance of the bread, its presentation...

A conveyor is a machine that allows the transport of a dough piece in a continuons way on a predetermined path. Its function is to be able to automatically deposit the dough pieces from one machine to another without the need of an operator.

Mixing is a crucial stage in the bread-making process. It develops the gluten network and ensures a dough that is soft, uniform, and well-aerated. When properly executed, mixing enhances fermentation, improves dough structure, and elevates the overall quality of the bread.
At MERAND, we design mixing solutions tailored to the needs of both artisan and industrial bakers. Our mixers combine durability, consistency, and precision, delivering optimal mixing while respecting the dough - true to traditional baking methods and fully aligned with the demands of modern production.