Bread improver
Encyclopedia
Bread improver has been a common ingredient in bread
since the early 1950s, and is used to speed up bread production.
had been made virtually the same way since it was first discovered. Using sourdough
s, and sponge and dough
methods, bread would take up to a day to produce. This was necessary so that certain chemical changes could happen in the bread. With the advent of plant bakeries mass-producing square (condensed) loaves of bread in the early 1950s, the production time for bread had to be accelerated. It was discovered that the addition of certain chemicals and enzymes to the bread could shorten the process to 2 hours instead of the usual 12 to 24 hours.
and protease
) to act on the starch and gluten.
When sour dough is made, a ferment dough is mixed first and left to ferment for up to 24 hours. Yeast contains limited amounts of amylase and protease enzymes, and this fermentation helps to increase the amounts of these naturally. Bread improvers aim to boost the amount of these enzymes artificially, thereby increasing the amount of fermentation early on in the bread production and cutting out the initial fermentation stage of doughs such as sour dough. The protease enzyme strengthens the gluten, thereby giving the bread a better structure and retaining more of the gas produced.
These ingredients are usually distributed in a soy flour filler, as the amounts of different ingredients can be as little as 120 mg per kg.
was also singled out as being potentially carcinogen
ic. Both of these additives have since been widely discontinued among manufacturers. Many people are allergic to sodium metabisulfate and the whole class of preservatives frequently labeled as 220-229.
Although the health effects of bread improvers are debated, ingredients vary widely among brands, and some manufacturers claim health benefits from their formulations. Removal of all enzymes from bread improver would require the removal of malt, which contains the enzyme amylase.
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
since the early 1950s, and is used to speed up bread production.
History
Before the 1950s, breadBread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
had been made virtually the same way since it was first discovered. Using sourdough
Sourdough
Sourdough is a dough containing a Lactobacillus culture, usually in symbiotic combination with yeasts. It is one of two principal means of biological leavening in bread baking, along with the use of cultivated forms of yeast . It is of particular importance in baking rye-based breads, where yeast...
s, and sponge and dough
Sponge and dough
The sponge and dough method is a two-step bread making process: in the first step a sponge is made and allowed to ferment for a period of time, and in the second step the sponge is added to the rest of the ingredients; this is known as the final dough. In this usage, synonyms for sponge are yeast...
methods, bread would take up to a day to produce. This was necessary so that certain chemical changes could happen in the bread. With the advent of plant bakeries mass-producing square (condensed) loaves of bread in the early 1950s, the production time for bread had to be accelerated. It was discovered that the addition of certain chemicals and enzymes to the bread could shorten the process to 2 hours instead of the usual 12 to 24 hours.
Function
There are two main reasons for the use of bread improvers: to help produce gas, and to retain the gas inside the bread. This is done by including enzymes (such as amylaseAmylase
Amylase is an enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of starch into sugars. Amylase is present in human saliva, where it begins the chemical process of digestion. Food that contains much starch but little sugar, such as rice and potato, taste slightly sweet as they are chewed because amylase turns...
and protease
Protease
A protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein....
) to act on the starch and gluten.
When sour dough is made, a ferment dough is mixed first and left to ferment for up to 24 hours. Yeast contains limited amounts of amylase and protease enzymes, and this fermentation helps to increase the amounts of these naturally. Bread improvers aim to boost the amount of these enzymes artificially, thereby increasing the amount of fermentation early on in the bread production and cutting out the initial fermentation stage of doughs such as sour dough. The protease enzyme strengthens the gluten, thereby giving the bread a better structure and retaining more of the gas produced.
Ingredients
While the ingredients of improvers can vary largely depending on their use and the manufacturer, there are a few important ingredients found in all improvers:- Ascorbic acidAscorbic acidAscorbic acid is a naturally occurring organic compound with antioxidant properties. It is a white solid, but impure samples can appear yellowish. It dissolves well in water to give mildly acidic solutions. Ascorbic acid is one form of vitamin C. The name is derived from a- and scorbutus , the...
- used to strengthen the gluten - HydrochlorideHydrochlorideIn chemistry, hydrochlorides are salts resulting, or regarded as resulting, from the reaction of hydrochloric acid with an organic base . This is also known as muriate, derived from hydrochloric acid's other name: muriatic acid....
- gluten softening and clearing - Sodium metabisulfate - gluten softening and clearing
- Ammonium chlorideAmmonium chlorideAmmonium chloride NH4Cl is an inorganic compound with the formula NH4Cl. It is a white crystalline salt that is highly soluble in water. Solutions of ammonium chloride are mildly acidic. Sal ammoniac is a name of natural, mineralogical form of ammonium chloride...
- food for yeast - Phosphates - food for yeast
- AmylaseAmylaseAmylase is an enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of starch into sugars. Amylase is present in human saliva, where it begins the chemical process of digestion. Food that contains much starch but little sugar, such as rice and potato, taste slightly sweet as they are chewed because amylase turns...
- enzyme used to break down starch into simple sugars, thereby letting yeast ferment quickly - ProteaseProteaseA protease is any enzyme that conducts proteolysis, that is, begins protein catabolism by hydrolysis of the peptide bonds that link amino acids together in the polypeptide chain forming the protein....
- enzyme used to improve extensibility of the dough
These ingredients are usually distributed in a soy flour filler, as the amounts of different ingredients can be as little as 120 mg per kg.
Health concerns
In the early 1990s, two ingredients commonly used in bread improvers were singled out as causing harm to those who ate the bread. Calcium propionate (Preservative 282) was significantly linked to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among children. Potassium bromatePotassium bromate
Potassium bromate , is a bromate of potassium and takes the form of white crystals or powder.-Uses in baking:Potassium bromate is typically used as a flour improver , strengthening the dough and allowing higher rising. It is an oxidizing agent, and under the right conditions, will be completely...
was also singled out as being potentially carcinogen
Carcinogen
A carcinogen is any substance, radionuclide, or radiation that is an agent directly involved in causing cancer. This may be due to the ability to damage the genome or to the disruption of cellular metabolic processes...
ic. Both of these additives have since been widely discontinued among manufacturers. Many people are allergic to sodium metabisulfate and the whole class of preservatives frequently labeled as 220-229.
Although the health effects of bread improvers are debated, ingredients vary widely among brands, and some manufacturers claim health benefits from their formulations. Removal of all enzymes from bread improver would require the removal of malt, which contains the enzyme amylase.