Developing the new industrial flatbread baking system using numerical technique to increase the product quality

Bread is one of the most important food sources for consumers, especially in developing and underdeveloped countries. Large quantities of bread are wasted every year because different factors affect the quantity of waste products include flour quality, bread production technology, and the storage condition of the bread. The objective of this study was to improve existing systems and developed the new flatbread industrial baking machine to increase product quality and product storability. Therefore, a rotary bread baking machine with an indirect heating system was designed, and the heat exchangers of the machine were simulated. The results of the simulation were utilized to investigate the uniformity of airflow velocity inside the exchanger and the distribution of heat on the dough on the baking bed. After achieving the most effective design, the exchangers were constructed and installed inside the baking machine. Bread baking experiments with the developed machine and the existing conventional machines were conducted to evaluate the instrumental, sensory, and staling characteristics of the produced flatbreads from different baking machines. The results indicated that the sensory qualities of the bread produced with the indirect heating system in the present study as well as uniformity of baking and sensory acceptability were superior compared to the bread produced from the conventional industrial machines with direct heating systems (with a total sensory score of 5.09 vs. 4.54). Practical Applications In this research, a superior flatbread baking machine with indirect heat was designed, constructed, and evaluated. The flatbread baked with the indirect heating system had better quality scores and a longer shelf life compared to the flatbread baked with the direct heating system. This type of the flatbread lasted more than 168 hr without mold and it was the best choice for longer-term storage purposes and for the reduction of food waste. Also, bread prepared using the new machine was free of any contaminants such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

Automated summary

This study aimed to improve existing systems and develop a new flatbread industrial baking machine with indirect heating system. The experiment compared the quality and storability of bread produced by indirect heating system with that produced by direct heating system. Results showed that bread baked with indirect heating system had superior sensory qualities, uniform baking, and sensory acceptability compared to bread baked with direct heating system.