The holidays bring with it a busy season for bakeries everywhere. From Thanksgiving to New Year's, customers are flocking to bakeries to get baked goods for their holiday parties and gatherings. During the holiday season, bakeries often face an exciting yet challenging period of increased demand. Some bakeries struggle while others flourish during this demand increase. We are here to make sure you are one of the bakeries that thrive during the holiday rush as we provide you with tips and the essential bakery equipment you need to help make it through the holidays. To keep your bakery running efficiently during this busy time, investing in the right equipment can make all the difference. In this blog, we will use our 47+ years of industry experience and expertise to provide you with tips on how to prepare for the holidays this year!

Stock Up on Ingredients

You never want to be mid-way through the busy season where demand is high and run out of ingredients. This will severely impact your production and minimize your profits. Even the slightest downtime can cost you a hefty amount during the holidays. To avoid this, simply stock up on your essentials before the rush starts. And when we mean stock up, we mean overstock! Get more of what you usually would for a normal production. Plan for the rush and leave yourself prepared for whatever is thrown your bakery's way!

Invest in High-Performance Dough Mixers and Dividers

When it comes to the busy holiday season, how you handle your dough is a game-changer. When the demand gets high, your dough mixer and dough divider are indispensable. A high-performance commercial dough mixer gives you the peace of mind that you're going to get a well-mixed and optimally developed dough every time. Whether you are using a spiral mixer for artisan breads or a planetary mixer for cookie and pie doughs, the right mixer will ensure your final products are of the highest quality.

When your dough is mixed and needs to be divided and rounded, having a machine that can automate the process will save your busy bakery tons of time. Not only time, but dough dividers and rounders will save you money on labor costs as well. These machines ensure uniformity in size and shape, reducing manual labor and enhancing efficiency. During the busy season of the holidays, bakery equipment like this proves to be invaluable.

Bakery Equipment from Empire

Streamline Production with Dough Sheeters and Cookie Depositors

As your bakery gears up for increased orders of cookies, croissants, and pie crusts, dough sheeters and cookie depositors become a lifesaver. Bakers know just how laborious and time-consuming manually piping cookies and rolling out dough is. Not to mention the physical strain it can cause when needed to fulfill an increase in orders received during the busy holiday season. Luckily, dough sheeters and cookie depositors can automate those processes at the touch of a button.

The best part is you won't need to sacrifice quality when automating production. These machines keep the high quality of your dough and produce efficient and consistent results. With precise control over thickness, dough sheeters simplify the process of rolling and flattening dough, so throw that rolling pin away. Empire Cookie Depositors can produce up to 7 trays of perfectly consistent cookies per minute, so no need to keep loading those piping bags.

Make Sure Your Oven Can Handle It

Increasing production and keeping up with demand is only possible if you are able to bake all of that product efficiently. Using a cookie depositor to produce 7 trays of cookies per minute means nothing if you cannot effectively bake those cookies in a timely fashion. So you must ask yourself, does my bakery oven have the capacity to keep up with the holiday demand? If the answer is no, it may be time to invest in a new oven that will allow your bakery to get to the next level. Deck Ovens with multiple decks and a high capacity will allow you to bake up to 150 loaves per bake, while Single and Double Rack Ovens will allow you to produce full bakery racks full of cookies and pastries in one bake. It's not all about volume either! These ovens will bake your products with the highest quality and keep your customers happy.

Prepare for Cleaning and Maintenance

With increased production comes increased cleaning. Be sure to keep up with routine cleaning and maintenance during the busy holiday season to ensure your equipment is working properly and efficiently. It is also advised to take some preventative measures and have your equipment serviced and checked before the demand starts to increase to limit any possible downtime that could hinder production and cost your bakery money.

The holiday season is a golden opportunity for bakeries to shine, but it requires meticulous planning and the right equipment. By investing in high-performance bakery equipment, your bakery can handle the holiday rush with ease. Focus on streamlining operations, automating where possible, and training and setting up your bakery for success as the holiday season approaches.

Preparing early and equipping your bakery with the tools to scale up production will not only help meet holiday demand but also build your reputation as a go-to destination for festive treats. So, embrace the season with confidence and delight your customers with an unforgettable holiday experience!