The perfect pizza experience? AAK develops flaked fats to enhance crust quality, taste and texture

18 Mar 2019 --- AAK has developed a new flaked fats ingredient solution range to help manufacturers create better pizzas. The new range is claimed to enhance crust quality, taste and texture, as well as offering easy handling during the production process. AAK’s flaked fats are positioned as “an ideal and simple way to improve the texture and mouthfeel of crusts in both thin and deep-pan pizzas.” This versatile solution allows for “the creation of a tasty product that can make production simpler, while opening the door to unique sensory experiences, whether the pizza is sold frozen, chilled, fresh, or as a dry-mix.”

In terms of the solution’s labeling specifications, Rasa Moorthamer, AAK Business Development Director, Bakery, tells FoodIngredientsFirst that the flaked fat in pizza replaces one part of the fats currently used. “So depending on the fat and oil blend composition used by pizza producer there might be no change in the label at all,” she notes.

“Next to that, by using our flaked fats, it is possible to either eliminate or reduce usage of dough relaxers such as L-cysteine, deactivated yeast, garlic powder, etc., that are commonly used to reduce shrinkage of the dough. In this case the label would be shorter,” she adds.

Moorthamer explains that the company’s flaked fats are not only suitable for use in pizzas, but also in pies, cookies, steamed puddings and American biscuits. “AAK flaked fats for baking are a versatile ingredient that allows you to create tasty products with a light, indulgent texture. Next to that, they enable production to be simpler and cleaner,” Moorthamer explains.

With AAK flaked fats, food producers can achieve optimum crispiness in thin-crust pizzas and an indulgent, moist crust in deep-pan recipes. AAK stresses that the sensory experience delivered by the first bite of pizza is key to how consumers judge quality. With AAK flaked fats, food producers can achieve optimum crispiness in thin-crust pizzas and an indulgent, moist crust in deep-pan recipes. “Visual appeal is also improved, since flaked fats create clear air-pockets in the pizza and a more open dough structure that results in a pizza that looks more artisanal and delivers an artisan-style experience,” the company writes.

When producing pizza, the extensibility and elasticity of the dough are important factors. AAK’s flaked fats are claimed to make it easy to achieve the ideal dough consistency. They can also help maintain the shape of the dough on the production line and reduce shrinkage after baking. If using flavored flakes, the taste is encapsulated in the flake until the product is baked and the fat starts to melt. This means that less of the aroma is released during the production process and the flavor of the end product is enhanced.

AAK claims that pizza companies will also appreciate the easy handling of AAK’s flaked fats. Traditional blocks of hard fat can be difficult to deal with and may need extra processing to break into the right size for production. By contrast, AAK’s flaked fats are free-flowing and easy to handle. Additionally, they can be used in automatic lines, enabling a seamless production process. In most dough-based applications flaked fats are incorporated directly into the dough towards the end of the mixing process, which maintains the structural integrity of the flake.

In addition, AAK’s flaked fats reduce oiling out – the oil migration from the crust that can make home-delivery boxes soggy. Preventing oiling out allows for a better crust texture and has the extra benefit that consumers’ hands will get less greasy if they pick up their pizza to eat.

In addition, they can be used in automatic lines, enabling a seamless production process. In most dough-based applications, fat flakes are incorporated directly into the dough towards the end of the mixing process when it is completely developed (500 BU). This maintains the structural integrity of the flake and ensures an even distribution of fat and flavor.

AAK’s wide portfolio of flaked fats (also called “flaked shortenings”) is grouped into different ranges, each with specific characteristics to help customers create the optimal pizza. Akoflake, Cisao and Cresta are three examples of different AAK ranges, produced and sold around the world.

By Robin Wyers