Keeping bread soft, flavorful, and fresh is a constant challenge for commercial bakeries. Large-scale production, long distribution chains, and consumer expectations make it essential to maintain quality over time. Ingredients that enhance dough performance and extend shelf life have become invaluable tools in modern baking, with DATEM playing a key role.
Understanding Bread Freshness Challenges
Bread begins to stale soon after baking due to moisture loss and starch crystallization. This affects texture, softness, and overall taste, leading to consumer dissatisfaction. For bakeries supplying supermarkets or food service chains, maintaining freshness over several days is critical for both brand reputation and operational efficiency.
How DATEM Extends Shelf Life
DATEM strengthens gluten networks in the dough, improving elasticity and gas retention. This results in better loaf volume and a uniform crumb structure, while slowing down the staling process. Its emulsifying properties also help distribute fats and moisture evenly, keeping the bread soft and maintaining freshness longer.
Even a small addition of DATEM can make a noticeable difference in bread quality, particularly for industrial-scale production.
Benefits Beyond Softness
Beyond improving softness, DATEM contributes to overall loaf integrity. It enhances slicing performance, reduces crumb breakage, and ensures consistent quality during packaging and transport. These effects help bakeries reduce waste, improve efficiency, and deliver products that meet consumer expectations.
Another advantage is that it allows bakeries to rely less on chemical preservatives, producing bread that feels fresher and more natural to customers.
Practical Tips for Bakeries
Proper integration of DATEM requires attention to dosage and mixing. Adding it at the right stage in the dough-making process maximizes its effect on gluten and starch interactions. Consulting technical datasheets or supplier guidelines ensures consistent results without overuse.
Complementing ingredient use with proper storage and packaging techniques is also essential. Even with DATEM, controlling temperature and humidity during storage helps maintain freshness.
Meeting Consumer Expectations
Today’s consumers expect bread to remain soft, tasty, and fresh for several days. Ingredients like DATEM enable bakeries to meet these expectations, ensuring high-quality products throughout the supply chain. The result is satisfied customers, reduced waste, and efficient production.
Conclusion
Maintaining bread freshness is a challenge for bakeries of all sizes. By improving dough structure, retaining moisture, and slowing staling, DATEM helps commercial bakeries produce soft, high-quality bread consistently. When combined with good baking practices and storage techniques, it supports large-scale production and meets modern consumer demands for freshness and quality.
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