Mixing process of biscuit and cookie production

Mixing process of biscuit and cookie production:

Every biscuit or cookie requires the right ingredients that are perfectly mixed in order to produce the desired end product. There are various primary stages to making cookies and biscuits in a factory.

The first stage is the mixing stage. Mixing is an integral part of biscuit and cookie production. This is because mixing is the first of various major production steps during which all ingredients are blended perfectly, thereby allowing the baker to produce the perfect cookie or biscuit.

Process:

During the mixing stage, flour, sugar, fat, water and other ingredients are mixed together in the right quantities. This mix is then fed into large mixers to form the dough. It is important to carefully manage the dough temperature and mixing time such that you achieve uniform distribution of the ingredients, as well as the appropriate consistency of the dough. Depending on factors such as the characteristics of the flour, the mixing time could take about 15 minutes. Biscuits and cookies generally differ from other baked products such as bread. This is because cookies and biscuits typically have a lower moisture content which is crucial to maintain during the mixing process. It is for this reason that overall control of the entire mixing process is vital.

Many biscuit and cookie production plants employ a continuous mixing system which provides the baker with front-end control of the entire mixing process. In this way, the baker is able to automatically meter the ingredients and continuously produce dough, thereby ensuring that all the dough is processed at the same age. What this means is that no single batch of dough will be left sitting longer than the others. Upon completion of the mixing of a batch of dough, the dough is normally ejected from the mixer and is immediately placed into either a trough or tub, or even directly fed into a feed hopper.

Through continuous mixing, the baker is able to achieve a uniform and consistent dough stream to the production line, at a similar rate to that which is being used. Such a mixing process eliminates problems that may arise due to batch cycles, while producing a consistent product all day, every day. The results of the mixing process can thereafter be fine-tuned and repeated on a day to day basis, while monitoring the history of production. This history is then saved electronically such that the manufacturing data from the past can be examined and reviewed.