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Mixing Methods: Excerpted From "Bread Baking: An Artisan's Perspective" - Chapter 4

The document compares three mixing methods for French bread: the short mix method, intensive mix method, and improved mix method. The short mix method from the 1920s involved 3-4 folds over a long bulk fermentation. The intensive mix method from the 1950s used powerful mixers to fully develop gluten with no fermentation. This produced an improved volume but bland flavor and white crumb. In the 1960s, the improved mix method was developed to address these issues by incorporating elements of traditional mixing like rests and preferments for better flavor in less time.

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Anya Oganova
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187 views7 pages

Mixing Methods: Excerpted From "Bread Baking: An Artisan's Perspective" - Chapter 4

The document compares three mixing methods for French bread: the short mix method, intensive mix method, and improved mix method. The short mix method from the 1920s involved 3-4 folds over a long bulk fermentation. The intensive mix method from the 1950s used powerful mixers to fully develop gluten with no fermentation. This produced an improved volume but bland flavor and white crumb. In the 1960s, the improved mix method was developed to address these issues by incorporating elements of traditional mixing like rests and preferments for better flavor in less time.

Uploaded by

Anya Oganova
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Mixing Methods

excerpted from "Bread Baking: An


Artisan's Perspective" - Chapter 4
Table 4.1 The Three Comparative
Mixing Methods for French Bread
SHORT MIX INTENSIVE MIX IMPROVED MIX
Flavor, aromas Very good Bland Good
Crumb color Very yellowish Very white Yellowish
Crumb structure Very open Very closed Open
Volume Smallest Best Good
Shelf life Best Poorest Good
Required folds 3-4 None 1-2
Short Mix Method
• 1920s
– Also sometimes referred to as slow mix or traditional
method
– Primitive commercial mixers first come into regular use -
mixed slowly and usually on a single speed, with results
nearly identical to hand mixing
– Doughs continued to go through 4 or 5 sets of folds over
a long bulk fermentation period
– Not a time saver, but did allow bakers to better multi-task
Intensive Mix Method
• Mid-1950s
– Powerful mixers emerge and adopted within the French
baking community
• Mixers had 2 to 3 speeds
– During bulk fermentation dough achieves maturity
• Gluten strands align themselves into a smoother, stronger dough
– Mechanically mixing the dough for longer periods on high
speed achieves dough maturity with no long fermentation
• Known as the intensive mix
– Production method of choice from late 1950s to early
1980s
Intensive Mix Method
• Incorporate ingredients into a homogenous mass using the
first speed setting for 3 – 5 minutes
• Once flour fully hydrated, mix on second speed for 8 – 15
minutes
• After 30 – 60 minutes bring dough to bench, and divide into
portions
• Characteristics of bread
– Volume much greater
– Crust thinner
– Texture cottony
– Crumb structure more homogenous
– Crumb color turned from ivory or yellowish tint to bright white
– Lack of density
– Much shorter shelf life
– No flavor left in bread
The Improved Mix Method
• Mid-1960s
– Bread tastes bad
• Dough with the intensive mix method featured a lower
level of organic acids than dough mixed with the
traditional mix method
– Organic acids primarily responsible for flavor and aromas
• Mixing too long or too intensively produced crumb that
was bleached out and absent of color
– Dough became overoxidized
» Intensive mix method destroyed carotenoid pigments
responsible for yellowish or ivory tint present in white
flour
The Improved Mix Method
• Raymond Calvel
– 1960s developed the improved mix method
• Aka petrissage ameliore
– Incorporated elements of traditional mixing
• i.e. rest period, or autolyse
– Incorporated use of preferments
• Primary source of organic acids
• Bulk fermentation shortened to 1-2 hours with no
sacrifice of flavor

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