Gluten development for wheat-based products directly impacts the product’s texture and structure. With traditional batch mixing, inconsistent mixing times and varying ingredient distribution can lead to uneven gluten formation. That’s why Exact Mixing developed innovative, advanced continuous mixing equipment. For over 30 years, Exact Mixing has helped commercial bakeries worldwide produce consistent, top-quality wheat-based products.
How Do Continuous Mixers Work?
In continuous mixing, ingredients are steadily fed into the mixer and blended into the dough, preventing over- or under-mixing. This consistent process forms a cohesive gluten network, enhancing elasticity, strength, and extensibility—crucial for products like bread and rolls that require stability during handling, shaping, and proofing. Continuous mixing also maintains precise temperature control, avoiding excess heat that can damage gluten proteins. The result is dough with superior structure, volume, and texture across high-volume production.
In addition to high product quality and consistency, Exact Mixing’s continuous mixers offer several more advantages to industrial bakeries.
- Efficiency: Continuous mixing eliminates the need to stop and start production between batches, reducing the downtime associated with reloading ingredients and mixing each batch separately. With production running continuously, bakeries can significantly increase their throughput, meet deadlines, and reduce the risk of delays caused by batch transitions.
- Reduced Maintenance: Mixers are engineered to distribute the mechanical load evenly during mixing, reducing the stress on components and minimizing wear and tear. Easy cleaning and lower maintenance needs result in fewer breakdowns, longer equipment life, and reduced operational disruptions.
- Cost Savings: Continuous mixing automation eliminates manual ingredient feeding and mixing intervention. Optimized ingredient usage and consistent blending reduce waste from over- or under-mixing. This consistent dough quality minimizes defects and the need for rework. Over time, these factors significantly lower both operational and production costs.
- Customization: Mixer settings, such as mixing speed, ingredient feeding, and hydration levels, can be adjusted for optimal performance for different products. This adaptability also supports varying output volumes, making it easy to scale up or down based on production demands.
Best Mixer Models for Wheat-Based Products
The HDX Continuous Mixer and the EX Continuous Mixer from Exact Mixing are especially well-suited for achieving optimal gluten development in wheat-based doughs.
- HDX Continuous Mixer: Designed for high-hydration doughs like bread, buns, and English muffins, this mixer’s precise hydration control and consistent kneading ensure flexible, homogenous, moist dough.
- EX Continuous Mixer: Ideal for low-absorption, stiff wheat-based doughs such as crackers and pretzels, this mixer ensures even gluten formation and prevents over-mixing, maintaining the dough’s strength and elasticity.
Both models offer adjustable settings for mixing speed, hydration control, and ingredient incorporation to fine-tune the production of different products. Whether you need to maintain the delicate structure of a high-hydration dough or the ideal texture for dense, stiff doughs, Exact Mixing continuous mixers provide versatility and control for consistent, high-quality results. Explore the full range of mixer models here!
Solutions for Success
Exact Mixing’s continuous mixing equipment offers comprehensive solutions for bakeries looking to produce top-quality products with enhanced efficiency and consistency. From high-hydration bread doughs to low-moisture crackers, continuous mixing meets diverse wheat-based production requirements. With customizable configurations and expert support, Exact Mixing helps commercial bakeries optimize dough quality, streamline production processes, and meet growing market demands. To explore the possibilities of continuous mixing for your bakery’s success, please visit About Continuous Mixing or Contact Exact Mixing.