Ovens and baking

Abstract

OVEN capacity is the major controlling factor of production in the biscuit factory. The rate at which biscuits can be baked on a given oven, controls the amount and capacity of the machinery both before and after baking. The oven length and band width, i.e. the baking area in the oven, together with the type of biscuit being baked, control the oven capacity. Ovens are built in varying lengths. Sections of 30 ft (9 m) are fairly standard, and from these ovens can be constructed up to 330 ft (100 m). The oven band can be one of various widths 31¹/₂ in (800 mm); 40 in (1000 mm); and 48 in (1200 mm) being the most popular sizes (48 in is now considered to be standard width). The band width, of course, controls the effective width of the rest of the production line. The most usual type of oven band is of cold rolled, hardened and tempered charcoal or carbon steel, which is suitable for a very wide range of biscuit types. Some biscuits, such as crackers of all types, puff biscuits, and some soft-dough biscuits, are traditionally baked on wire bands. These help to retain the biscuit dimensions and allow steam and gas to escape from the bottom of the biscuits as well as the top. When soft dough biscuits baked on a wire band are compared with a similar formula baked on a steel band, the wire band biscuit is markedly denser in texture, but hollow bottoms rarely occur. Wire bands are available in three forms (see Fig. 13)