Replicating traditional methods of preparing buns, bagels and rolls on an industrial scale is a task with an extensive list of challenges, to achieve high-volume, consistent results. Flexibility and innovation joined in dedicated production lines help provide the answers for endless product variations.
Mecatherm & ABI Ltd. spells bagel mastery
A typical bagel line processes around 7,000 pieces per hour for each forming setup. ABI Ltd. has built machines that can feature six such forming setups, sustaining production of up to 40,000 bagels per hour on one line.
ABI Ltd. provided the make-up and boiling solutions in its partnership with Mecatherm to develop this line. The French specialist brought expertise for the proofing, retarding, baking, cooling and freezing sections of the systems. The two engineering teams had the experience of working together to develop the MECABAGEL line, prior to becoming Group colleagues this year.
The MECABAGEL line was built as a response to market trends they have been observing. “One of the major challenges in the automated production of bagels is forming it, because of the dough’s density, which for bagels is quite stiff, with a low hydration level. Traditionally, the dough had been cut manually into individual pieces, and rolled by hand. This method, however, cannot support mass production,” Alex Kuperman, ABI Ltd.’s CEO underlined. The hard dough influenced the mechanics of the forming device, in order to be able to pull the dough through the mandrel (as the dough gets sheeted, it is wrapped around the mandrel). Another challenge is in ensuring the ring is uniform, concentric. A slight misalignment will impact the shape of the bagel. Additionally, the bagel must maintain its consistent round shape throughout processing. Placing the bagels on a proofing board also poses challenges, a pattern must be identified that doesn’t allow the products to be too close to each other to prevent them from ‘kissing’.
The molding process is by its nature unreliable, ABI’s CEO points out. As the reciprocator places the product onto the board, the bagels are monitored by sensors on each lane, with the signal received at this level compared to a master signal on the divider. If the timing is offset, speed adjustments will help correctly align the bagels. “We take substantial care in ensuring that we are in the correct position with our equipment,” he adds. To maintain their shape throughout processing, product transfers should be avoided as much as possible until they reach the oven – from belts to different kinds of bakeware. To do that, Mecatherm uses proofing boards or peelboards to convey the product through the proofer and retarder, and on its way to boiling and baking, as François Retailleau, product manager explains. Fermentation and retarding can also be challenging to perfect, in order to achieve a result similar to artisan-made bagels. Temperature control between warm and cold zones and homogeneity in the air distribution are key to this, and sensors in the proofing and retarding rooms help ensure the necessary settings are maintained. As the peelboards exit the retarder, the product is picked up by a wing-shaped device called “scrabbler” to be sent to the boiler. As products tend to stick to the board, this is a crucial step, and and the appropriate design of the wing profile ensures the bagels will not change shape and positioning during this transfer. A top roller that is adjustable in height will help at this stage, as it applies very slight pressure at the top of the product to help it climb on the wing and not slide back. Next comes cooking or boiling the bagel, which with this line can be done either by submerging the product (the traditional method) or by exposing the lower side of the bagel to a bottom bath and the rest to multiple waterfalls (this impacts the heat needed to boil, with the added benefit of steam resulting in the boiling chamber).
The new line eliminated a heat exchanger from inside the boiler to make equipment cleaning easier. “For automatic cleaning, there are Sweepers within the system that ensure automatic cleaning and also act as a filtration system for the water as it is running,” adds Nelson Leite, vice president of Sales and Marketing, ABI Ltd.
The product requires a lot of energy from the start to ensure both a quality bake and the dough from sticking. For the baking process itself, “Depending on the kind of product you want to obtain, there are several hearth technologies, or baking can be done on a wire mesh belt. These will influence the choice in the oven technology as well,” Retailleau illustrates the various options of bringing heat to the product. The MECABAGEL line comes in two versions: the more traditional setup features a cyclothermic oven (plain hearth carrier), and the newer technology line includes the M-TA oven (precise control over the amount, location and type of heat – convection or radiation). Both allow setting up a tailor-made baking curve, with humidity control to give the product its shiny finish. This typically means convection from the bottom at the start of the baking process, usually followed by radiation. Some convection heating will help to bake the product faster, which counts towards the overall efficiency, the most important characteristic of any oven.
