Warburtons and Stable Micro Systems Partner on Testing Equipment

The new testing rig enables more realistic assessment of dough stickiness, as it minimises the dough’s exposure to atmospheric variables by testing under controlled conditions.

7 Jun 2012 --- Stable Micro Systems, the world leader in texture analysis instrumentation, and Warburtons, the number one bakery brand in the UK, have announced the launch of valuable new testing equipment for the bakery industry: the Warburtons Dough Stickiness System. The new testing rig enables more realistic assessment of dough stickiness, as it minimises the dough’s exposure to atmospheric variables by testing under controlled conditions.

Sticky dough is problematic in bakeries as it causes progressive build-up of dough smears on equipment, necessitating extra cleaning and leading to waste and unplanned stoppages. Previous test methods for quantifying dough stickiness normally required manipulation of the dough sample immediately prior to testing. This, and exposure to drier atmospheres common in QC labs, introduce rheological changes which reduce stickiness and therefore distort test results.

As stickiness is most commonly evident when dough is subjected to shear, tests should ideally be performed immediately after mixing or processing, eg after dividing or moulding. The research, development and engineering team at Warburtons has worked with Stable Micro Systems to develop a sample testing box into which dough samples can be placed quickly and with minimum exposure of the cut surface to the atmosphere. A retaining plate is placed on top of the dough, applying slight compression to the sample.

A narrow blade is driven through a slot in the retaining plate, to a defined distance. This action provides bakers with an accurate assessment of the compression peak and compression area of the dough, indicators of its consistency (firmness / softness). As the blade is withdrawn upwards, Stable Micro Systems’ advanced software, Exponent, calculates the adhesion peak and adhesion area. The higher the peak, and/or larger the area, the stickier the dough.

The Warburtons Dough Stickiness System mimics certain actions carried out in commercial bakeries and is ideally suited to this sector of the baking industry due to the high speed of the test, the ease of cleaning between tests and the reduced need for temperature-controlled environments.

The Warburtons Dough Stickiness System is a Community Registered Design and is available in two sizes, to accommodate samples of 500g or 900-1000g.