Cookies and Dough Extruding – What You Should Know

The bakery industry has gone through an upheaval in recent years. With the help of the latest technologies, it’s now possible to create a range of delectable products that also appear quite attractive. One such technology is dough extrusion, which enhances aesthetics while maintaining the superior quality of dough products.
In this post, you’ll get to know all about it in brief, as well as the dough extruder that makes the entire process way convenient and hassle-free.
What is dough extrusion?
In the simplest terms, it’s the process of forcing the dough material to flow under pressure through an orifice and cut later to form individual products of specified size and dimensions. While the bakery industry uses a cold extrusion process, where the temperature doesn’t exceed 40-degree centigrade, the snacks industry conducts the extrusion process at temperatures well above the boiling point of water. However, in both industries, the process can be automated with the help of state-of-the-art equipment, commonly known as the dough extruder.
What types of products can be obtained through extrusion?
You can create a range of bakery items through dough extrusion by using bulk dough and/or viscous batter, which is high in sugar and fat content.
These materials are passed through the extruder and cut into single pieces of the desired size to form the following products:
- Soft cookies – You can create both wire-cut cookies and swirl cookies among other varieties through extrusion. The mounted wire or blade below the die outlet cuts the dough into the desired shapes before dropping the pieces on the conveyor belt, which takes them into the oven.
- Pastries – Although the production of delicious pastries requires much more than just extrusion, it plays a significant role in the preparation and shaping of the dough. The cold extrusion process reduces the gluten content to a minimum and prevents flakiness in the finished products.
- Whole grain bread – You can prepare whole grain bread from ‘flourless’ dough through the extrusion method. With a high-quality extruding machine, you can easily manage high/low viscosity at different temperature levels simultaneously.
A few things to note about the extruder machine
- The extruder generally operates at a low speed, thus allowing the dough to maintain its integrity.
- Proper forming should precede the extrusion process, as the machine is unable to manage too soft or fluid-like materials.
- While buying the extruder, you should consider a machine that has an effective waste management system that sends improperly extruded dough back into the hopper.
Wondering how to find the right extruder for your bakery? Contact a reliable supplier that goes the extra mile to offer improved customization in their equipment to meet every need and budget.