How to delay the aging of bread?

How to make bread more delicious has always been a topic worthy of study.

It can be said that from the moment the bread is baked, "aging" has been accompanied by the bread, and this process cannot be avoided, let alone reversed.

So how can we effectively slow down the aging of bread?

Bread aging refers to the process in which the internal tissue of bread gradually becomes dry and hard, which is manifested as loss of luster on the skin, loss of moisture, loss of flavor, hardening and slag, and reduction of soluble starch

According to the characteristics of bread, aging is unavoidable, but it can greatly delay the aging process through the addition of skills and raw materials in the production process

Factors that affect aging include formula, flour, sugar, dairy, oils, emulsifiers, yeast, packaging, and preservation

formula

Choosing the right formula, a formula with high water content can promote full hydration of the dough, form gluten, and improve the water retention of the bread

However, too much water should not be added.

flour

Flour with high protein content and good quality is more conducive to slowing down aging, because the better the protein quality, the higher the water absorption, the stronger the gluten structure, the less starch content in the final bread, and the slower the aging speed of bread

A good flour not only affects the taste and taste of the product, but also has a positive effect on slowing down aging

sugar

Sugar will be decomposed into glucose and fructose during fermentation.

dairy products

Although the lactose in dairy products will be consumed by lactic acid bacteria, it will not be consumed by baker's yeast, so the lactose in dairy products will play a role in the dough, which has good water retention and can effectively prevent water evaporation

grease

The case of fat slowing down aging is still very common in baking, and many heavy oil breads or cakes can have a very long shelf life

Similarly, the more oil is not the better, too much oil will make the bread texture rough, so you still need to pay attention to the ratio of the recipe

Emulsifier

Soft phospholipids and emulsifiers in egg yolks can combine with starch molecules to form a spiral structure, preventing water molecules from moving out of starch, thereby retaining water, and the emulsified oil can also expand the coating area, which can also delay the release of water.

yeast

The use of natural yeast can play a role in delaying the aging of bread

In addition, the addition of yeast seeds will also bring a large amount of lactic acid bacteria to the dough.

Package

In addition to improving bread aging through bread raw materials and production techniques, it can also be improved through product packaging
.

　　Effectively packaged bread can effectively control the moisture loss of the dough, so that the bread maintains a soft and moist texture.
Unpackaged bread is more susceptible to direct contact with the air, thereby affecting the taste
.

　　The temperature of bread packaging is also worth noting.
The core temperature of the bread needs to be cooled to +30°C (±1°C), which is close to the temperature of the human palm
.

　　save

　　First of all, it is not recommended to store bread in the refrigerator
.
Because the refrigerator compartment of the refrigerator is a circulating cold air system, the moisture of the bread will be continuously lost under the action of cold air
.

　　The bread can be cooled to the required temperature and then sealed and stored in a freezer.
Under the environment of -18°C, 80% of the moisture in the bread will be frozen into a stable state to delay aging
.

　　For cooking buns and stuffed bread, the shelf life is usually one day due to the addition of stuffing
.
The refrigerated shelf life of sandwiches and creams is one day, and the bakery can appropriately control the amount of production
.

　　For bakery operators, the aging of bread is a very helpless problem that needs to be faced directly.
If these effective methods can be used to effectively delay this process, it will undoubtedly greatly improve the quality of our products.
form a good reputation
.

　　(Wang Liangliang)

"China Food News" (December 20, 2021 Edition 05)

(Editor-in-charge: Bao Xiaotie)