Artisan bread baking is a labor of love, a masterpiece of flavor, texture, and aroma. Crafting the perfect loaves requires not only skill and technique but probably more importantly, it requires the right equipment. From mixing to shaping to baking, each step in the artisan bread-making process demands precision, consistency and accuracy. In this blog post, we'll explore the essential equipment your bakery needs to create the best artisan bread and become an artisan bread juggernaut.

Mixing Equipment:

The first process of the dough process is a crucial one. Your bread is only as good as the dough you are able to develop. Having a spiral dough mixer is recommended for getting the best possible bread dough. The spiral arm of the mixer and the rotation of the bowl perfectly knead and fold the dough allowing optimal ingredient blending and dough development. Properly developed dough leads to a perfect final product. Be sure to get a mixer that can handle the amount of dough your business will produce so you can keep up with production demand. Empire offers spiral mixers in a variety of sizes for bakeries small and large.

Production Equipment:

As previously mentioned, accuracy and consistency are very important in the world of baking. Ensuring your breads are the same with every bake, starts with the shaping and moulding of each loaf. Ensuring this level of accuracy is very laborious and time-consuming when done manually. However, the advancement in dough production technology has made this part of the bread-baking process and breeze! Dough dividers will help you divide large quantities of dough at an exact weight at the push of a button, while divider rounders will both divide and perfectly round your dough in seconds. Bread moulders such as the EMP-FB French Bread Moulder will help shape your dough for baguettes and other long loaf breads. Dough production equipment will help save you time and money on labor costs.

Proofing Equipment:

So you have mixed and shaped the perfect loaves. Unfortunately, those perfect loaves mean nothing if they are not proofed properly. Dough proofers are necessary to ensure the proper proofing of your dough and the best possible final product. Dough Proofers help ensure the proper humidity and temperature for the most optimal environment for proofing dough. This level of accuracy and control cannot be achieved with floor proofing your dough, so many successful bakeries and restaurants turn to roll-in dough proofers for their proofing processes.

Bread Ovens:

Finally, the ovens. A bread oven needs to meet a number of requirements in order to be deemed a quality oven for baking artisan breads. One of those requirements is proper insulation and heat retention. Without these factors, it is impossible to properly bake the perfect bread. Ovens that allow heat loss will not only cause inconsistencies in your product but waste your money on energy and fuel costs. Speaking of fuel efficiency, a good bread oven is an efficient one. State-of-the-art bread ovens like Empire’s Minitube Deck Oven use steam tube technology that distributes heat evenly throughout the baking chambers using a single burner, leading to lower fuel consumption and up to 75% savings on fuel costs. This level of technology paired with a traditional stone hearth baking surface makes deck ovens the perfect option for artisanal breads.

In conclusion, the only way to make the perfect artisan breads time and time again is by having the right equipment. From mixing to shaping and proofing to baking, each machine in your bakery arsenal plays a crucial role in baking perfection. By investing in high-quality bakery equipment and mastering these machines, you can elevate your bread production to artisanal excellence. So gather your tools, roll up your sleeves, and let the journey to bread-making mastery begin.