In the USA they are called ‘Pig(s) in a blanket’, in Germany ‘Würstchen im Schlafrock’ (sausages in a dressing gown), in Russia ‘Sosiska v teste’ and in Denmark ‘Polsehorn’. Sausages wrapped in dough are certainly in demand internationally. However, solid fillings pose a challenge for the coiling process.
The semi-automated production of Polsehorn on a large scale – that was the task with which a Danish company approached the bakery machine manufacturer FRITSCH. The development team at FRITSCH was asked to come up with the right solution.
More grip when hammering in
“To enable the customer to produce this special product on a Laminator 300 with MULTICUT, we have further developed our CSV compact vacuum winder, which is also used for the production of filled croissants. We have additionally placed motor-driven knitting belts on the wrapping cassette with wrapping hooks, which hold the sausage so that it does not roll away during wrapping and remains in a straight position,” explains Alfred Ströbel, dough technologist at FRITSCH. “The basis for this solution was created years ago when we added the catch rakes to the croissant coiler for a Swiss producer so that they could coil croissants around whole chocolate bars,” says Uwe Benz, Sales Director Line Solutions.
While unfilled croissants are relatively easy to roll in, firm fillings such as a sausage present a real challenge for the coiling process. The impact claws ensure that the dough is lifted slightly and can be guided and rolled over the inserted product more easily. To hold a sausage in position, for example, a notch is also pressed into the dough piece – at the point where the sausage lies. This notch serves as a physical barrier. In this way, the sausage remains in the desired position.
The additional fuse
Because the sausages – unlike standardized chocolate bars, which have a straight contact surface – roll away more easily, additional securing is needed during production. This is exactly what the fixing belt provides. While the vacuum fixes the dough piece, the belt provides more grip when the sausage is wrapped. “In addition, chains on the mats and the coiling mat serve as a weight to exert a certain pressure on the dough piece so that the sausage is tightly wrapped in the dough piece,” explains Uwe Benz.
The coiling system can also cope with crooked, irregularly shaped sausages. According to the manufacturer, the same applies to products with a soft consistency such as a minced piece or a vegetarian sausage alternative.
