Lecithin for better machinability of various doughs

Lecithin for better machinability of various doughs

Lecithin is used in bakery products for many very good reasons, including emulsification, volume, symmetry, crumb structure and tenderness, product shelf life and batter viscosity. But there is also another specific reason it’s being used in a large variety of bakery products. It’s for the excellent dough conditioning and machinability qualities that lecithin imparts to the doughs that make it so valuable to the baking industry.

Dough strength is a balance of two main properties of the dough, extensibility and elasticity. When Gluten is developed after the flour interacts with the water. These two characteristics are the vital attributes the dough has developed when properly mixed.

Extensibility is the ability to stretch and Elasticity is its ability to go back to its original shape. Strong doughs are not very extensible but very elastic. Weak doughs are very extensible but not very elastic. Lecithin helps during this gluten development stage by helping to strengthen the dough. It reduces dough stickiness and acts as a release agent during mixing and machining processes. This is especially important in reduced fat formulas or where sugar is a major component of the formula. The added lubricity from the lecithin is part of the dough conditioning that it contributes to the easier machinability and clean-up of equipment.

The versatility of lecithin in bakery products makes a must ingredient in all bakery application where dough is mixed, extruded, sheeted, panned, cut or leavened.

Whether you’re looking for a functional enzyme modified soy lecithin or a less refined soy lecithin. SPI Group carries a full line of de-oiled and liquid lecithins from Du Pont and can help you choose the right one for your bakery application.

*Information gathered from Du Pont and Progressive Baker.