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Frequently Asked Questions

Q. How do I determine the shelf life of my product once it is baked and wrapped?

A. Mould Free Shelf Life is dependant upon a combination of ERH (Equilibrium Relevant Humidity) and pH (Alkalinity or Acidity) of the product and also the environment in which products are stored whilst cooling before wrapping. For these reasons it is difficult to give an exact guide so we advise that you conduct your own trials and visually check your products for mould during life.

Q. How can I increase the shelf life of my cakes?

A. Add Potassium Sorbate at 0.2% of batter weight (2g per kg of total batter) – this will roughly double the shelf life. You can also add glycerine at up to 6% of batter weight in place of water (if you have 2000g of total batter replace 120g of water with glycerine).

Glycerine will lower the ERH - reducing the amount of free moisture in the cake that gives rise to mould. Again we would advise that you make trials and keep records of shelf life achieved.

Q. What are your top tips for ensuring muffins have a good peaked volume when baked?

A. The easiest way is to sprinkle the tops with choc chips, nuts, sugar nibs etc prior to baking. If this is not an option then ensure that the bake time and temperature are correct – 380ºF for 32minutes in a deck and 170 ºC for 32 minutes in a rack are recommended. In a rack oven you may need to start at 150ºC for 5 minutes, add a little steam then increase to 160ºC for 5 mintes then increase to 170ºC for the rest of the bake time.

Q. What are your top tips for ensuring hot cross buns don’t flatten in the prover?

A. Spices have a reducing effect on the dough and to combat this mixing times should be reduced or dough temperature reduced to prevent over development of the dough. On a spiral the mix time should be reduced to about ¾ of normal (2+6 instead of 2+8). Yeast level of 7.5% on flour weight and final proof temperature of 38ºC should give a 60 minute proof.

Q. How can I stop my rolls collapsing when I take them out of the oven?

A. Batched products (ones that are baked touching each other) have a tendency to collapse as they cool. The best way to overcome this is to drop the trays from 12” onto a table as they come out of the oven. This “shock” has the effect of setting the structure and preventing collapse.

Q. How can I get the best from your cream alternatives? (Mactop Traditional, Mactop Extra, Glendelight).

A. It is important to always chill the cream alternative to between 2-10ºC before whipping, whip only 1/6th of the bowl capacity at a time, whip on medium speed (not top speed) until piping consistency is obtained.