When the freezing process is handled correctly, storing partially or fully finished baked goods to defrost and sell at a later date can greatly benefit bakery operations. It helps spread out bakers’ workload, reduces the number of sensitive components that need to be managed in the kitchen at once and often prevents waste. These benefits are particularly valuable during the holiday season, when many bakeries see the highest number of orders and potential for profit, and efficiency is at a premium. Bakers can work ahead this fall and won’t have to worry about making all their holiday offerings during the weeks around Christmas and New Year’s.
A number of things, however, can go wrong during the freezing process—possibly resulting in lost time and ingredients, inferior bakery products and other costly outcomes. To avoid frustrating errors and delays, follow these five tips.
1. Choose Items that Freeze Well
2. Seal Items Effectively
Baked goods that will be frozen longer than 10 days should be put in airtight containers to keep them from drying out.
“All freezers are dehumidifiers,” Troop says. If donuts are placed in a bag that’s not completely sealed, then boxed and placed in the freezer, “that freezer will pull the moisture right through that box and bag because it's not sealed,” he says.
3. Choose the Best Chilling Method for Bakery Operations
Keeping frozen products at a consistent -10 degrees Fahrenheit is key to maintain their integrity.
Most smaller bakeries can do this effectively with static freezing: Items are placed in a box that’s put into a case. The case is sealed and stacked onto a pallet that’s put in a standard freezer.
Larger bakeries with multiple locations, wholesale operations and baked goods manufacturers are more likely to benefit from tunnel freezing, a process that involves nitrogen or carbon dioxide.
“[In] a tunnel freezer, you put [something] in one end, and a minute and a half later, it comes out the other end -10 on the inside,” Troop says.
4. Invest in a Temperature-Gauging Tool
Though freezers have settings, using a certified and calibrated thermometer provides precision, ensuring bakeries are storing frozen items at the necessary temperature.
“Do a weekly check,” Troop says. “Make sure when the freezer says it's -10, it's really not 32.”
5. Seek Thawing Guidance from Suppliers
Different products require different defrosting methods to ensure when they’re thawed, they have the right texture and consistency.
“Find out from the supplier if an item should be defrosted slowly, through refrigeration overnight, over a period of a couple days—or if it can be thawed at room temperature overnight for the next day of production,” Troop says.
With the proper understanding of best practices for freezing and thawing, bakeries are well on their way to maximizing efficiency this holiday season and beyond.
From mixes and bases to fillings, icings and glazes, discover how Dawn Bakery Products can help your business save time, ensure consistency and maximize efficiency this holiday season and beyond.
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