17.12.2020
What is the Best Humidity for Baking,
and Why?
Baking may be an art, but it’s equally a strict discipline. Whether you operate a small boutique bakery or a large baking factory, operating a bakery is no small job, either as ingredient costs need to be considered along with product waste, shelf life and subsequent production, labor costs, and more. To optimize your operations and produce the freshest, longest-lasting baked goods possible, proper humidity control is essential.
Humidity control has many benefits in food production but ultimately the objective is to improve productivity and maintain optimum product quality.
With that said, just what is the best humidity for baking, and why?
What Relative Humidity Percentage is Best?
The ideal relative humidity percentage, normally 40 to 60 percent in most applications, may differ depending on the process in question. For instance, proofing baked goods benefits from slightly higher figures – around 80 percent – to ensure dough effectively leavens and expands with just enough moistness. This also prevents problems such as cracking or flaking, which can ruin the visual appeal of select baked goods.
All in all, take a look at what steps you implement in your bakery and see whether the indoor air moisture content is sufficient. If there’s not enough humidity, it’s best to invest in a dependable, high-efficiency solution that can protect your product while enticing customers.
Why Humidify?
A high-efficiency humidifier can help regulate indoor temperatures as well as air moisture content parameters, which is particularly useful for bakeries of all sizes and factory environments. These systems help to reduce the presence of flour dust, which can otherwise serve as a harmful allergen. Of course, the most significant benefit aside from comfortable and safe conditions for employees is top-quality products with a reduction in ingredient wastage. By regulating the indoor conditions of your bakery environment, you can effectively regulate the quality consistency of your goods, ensuring maximum customer retention and visually appealing production that meets your established standards.
Protecting Form and Freshness, the Condair Way
With the best humidity for baking in mind, what are the specific benefits for baked goods themselves? One of the most substantial is the preservation of an ideal size, weight and shape, ensuring you only utilize the required amount of yeast and other ingredients needed. As yeast produces carbon dioxide, the dough rises and produces that aroma we all know and love. In addition, the fermentation process and how gluten content is modified can directly influence the end result’s quality; proper humidity control can help you set standards in this regard and stick to them. This helps avoid issues such as brittleness or over-hardness, taste alterations caused by chemical reactions in specific ingredients, cracked and crumbling surfaces, and more. That way, you won’t be left with a lower-quality, unsold product that may not meet the expectations of you or your customers.
Looks Count
Repeat customers and potential new prospects who love baked goods typically have an eye for what is and isn’t worth their hard-earned money. Now more than ever, customers scrutinize product quality and freshness to ensure they’re getting the best possible experience from bakeries. Regulating your relative humidity and setting new standards for your operations – resulting in better-looking, more delicious baked goods – can generate buzz over your products, drive sales and encourage repeat business.
Want to learn more about industrial or commercial humidifiers that can ensure the best humidity for baking? Our team at Condair is happy to help. Contact us today to get started on narrowing down your list of ideal options, available in a variety of load sizes and configurations!
Helpful Links:
https://www.condairgroup.com/food-beverage-humidification/bakeries
