Baking

by convection heating methods

Continuous used in normal vertical ovens.

Instead, the Serpentine uses thermal
oil-heated radiation plates that are
Craftsmanship: mounted above and below each
horizontal traverse of the baking
stones within the oven. To address
Compact Vertical Oven the heat loss of the stone through
the baking process, a reheat section

Bakes Traditional Breads at the bottom of the oven pumps

thermal energy back into the stone
to bring it back to the optimal
with Radiated Stones baking temperature.
Auto-Bake says the stone hearth
Serpentine can also be used for
A new variant of the space-saving “Serpentine” baking other products – including
vertical oven offers large scale baking plants the ‘moulded’ loaves – by exchanging
the stones for standard or
flexibility of making conventional loaves as well as
alternative baking trays and tins.
true-to-tradition artisan breads that require the To find out more about the
high temperatures of stone hearths and precise artisan bread baking system,
baking zone control to produce authentic craft-like Graeme Bonner, Technical Sales
colours, crusts and textures. Engineer at Auto-Bake, responds to
our queries:

B
AGUETTES, buns, ciabattas,
sour doughs, rye bread and
Turkish loaves are traditional
breads from around the world that
are finding new fans in Asia. Once
the province of artisanal bakeries
with kilns of brick and stone, the
authentic forms and flavours of
artisan-style breads are now
available to industrial bakeries
following the introduction of a
stone hearth Serpentine oven by
Auto-Bake, an Australian designer
and manufacturer of ovens and
baking systems.
The ‘Serpentine ‘ baking system
is a patented vertical oven process
that occupies just a tenth of the
footprint of conventional tunnel
ovens. Product is conveyed
horizontally on a vertical ‘S’
configuration transport system and
passes through several thermal
zones, including an optional steam
zone, that allow bakers a high
degree of control over the baking
profile.
To replicate the results of
traditional stone hearths, Auto-
Bake has adapted the Serpentine
technology for artisan breads by
incorporating radiant-heated stone
hearth baking surfaces that produce
breads with the colour, texture,
crustiness and shape of small-scale,
handcrafted items.
The new bread baking system
consists of three key elements: a
proofer, the Serpentine oven and an
ambient cooling/freezing system.
Operating at production rates of up
to 10,000 baguettes per hour, the
complete baking system – from the
proofer inlet through to the freezer
outlet – occupies a highly compact
floor area, according to Auto-Bake.
The heart of the artisan bread
baking system is the Serpentine
stone hearth oven. Radiant heat
technology is used to achieve the
high temperatures experienced in
craft bakeries. The sustained heat
is necessary to produce a
characteristic ‘radius’ at the ends
and side of the loaves. Auto-Bake
says this effect cannot be achieved
FBA: What are the technical
challenges involved in translating
artisan baking processes into large-
scale baking plants? How are these
addressed by the Serpentine
system?
Mr Bonner: When producing
artisan-style breads via mass
production methods, bakeries aim
to achieve two important bread
characteristics. First, the loaf must
have a suitable crust: Auto-Bake’s
oven achieves that using a specially
designed steaming zone at the entry
to the oven.
Second, the bread must have a
certain lift and ‘curl’ around the
base of each loaf – what we call
‘kick’. To obtain this kick, the
baking stone must have a large
energy content, which is passed into
the product. This is particularly
important for breads such as
ciabatta, where you want very high
stone temperatures of 260˚C. In the
Auto-Bake Serpentine oven, the
baking stones retain solid heat by
being reheated on the return path.

36 FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006

 Baking

bread products – in the

afternoon.
As for specialty items,
Auto-Bake can adapt the
Serpentine oven to bake just
about anything. The heart of
the oven remains the same, but
every line that we build is
custom-configured for a
particular site. This means that
we always take the end-
application – or range of
applications – into conside-
ration. We have built ovens that
bake cheesecakes, Yorkshire
puddings and stuffing balls –
just to name a few.
The Auto-Bake system is
specifically designed for
flexibility, changeability and
scalability. The oven footprint
Auto-Bake has fused modern continuous baking technology with the option of a is very small – just one-tenth
traditional stone hearth to deliver authentic results true to craftsman standards. the size of conventional tunnel
ovens – and so it will fit into
These radiant heated stones are provide accurate humidity control some very tight spaces. Moreover,
presented at the oven infeed, where and length of residence to control the cooling and proofing modules
the proofed dough is placed fermentation time. Moreover, in also utilise the Serpentine S-shaped
automatically onto the stone. This any industrial baking line, it’s path, so they’re very compact as
allows it to be baked from the essential to ensure that all the well. It’s an ideal system for staged
bottom up and provides the kick. elements of the line – such as make- growth: we can supply an indivi-
up, proofing and infeed – are dual oven if that’s all that’s
FBA: What are the parameters that synchronised. Once the bake is required. However, we’re also able
should be monitored to achieve optimised, the upstream elements to supply a fully integrated system.
optimal product quality? need to be matched to the oven’s It depends on the requirements of
Mr Bonner: In addition to achieving speed. This means that the proofer the end-user.
the essential crust and kick needs to operate at varying line
mentioned above, the key challenge speeds, depending on the product FBA: Besides the baking system,
for the balance of the bake is control being baked. what elements are vital in the task
of the baking zones to maintain the of developing a quality artisan
correct temperature to suit the type FBA: What possibilities, in terms of baked range?
of bread. This is different for changeover, adaptability to novel Mr Bonner: In addition to those
baguettes, sourdoughs, Turkish items and scalability, does the elements that are in the control of
bread and so on. Owing to its Serpentine afford the end user? the individual baker/bakery such as
unique ‘S-shaped’ transport path, Mr Bonner: The Serpentine oven the ingredients, recipe, etc, the
the Serpentine oven provides can be used to bake a large variety incorporation of a ‘stress-free’
multiple, easily controlled thermal of products in addition to bread— system in the make-up plant is
zones to allow precise tailoring of including cakes, muffins, biscuits important to ensure an open,
the bake. The amount of steam, and and numerous specialty items. The ‘chewy’ texture to the bread. The
where it’s applied, needs to be stones used for artisan bread baking proofing system, with variable
tightly controlled as well. can be easily interchanged with residency to suit longer fermen-
The pre-bake steps are also baking trays, so you could run tation times, is also critical.
critical for ensuring product quality. artisan breads in the morning and
Enquiry No: 016
In particular, the proofer needs to standard ‘moulded’ loaves – or non-

FOOD & BEVERAGE ASIA AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2006 37