Excessively elastic wheat doughs are a key disruptor in bakery production, as they make shaping difficult, impair process stability and increase waste. With GOOD NatureRelax, GoodMills Innovation introduces a baking ingredient that addresses this very issue: derived from 100 per cent stabilised, finely ground wheat germ, it has been specially developed to ensure relaxed dough handling and process stabilisation on mechanical and industrial equipment.
Anyone who works with wheat dough on a daily basis will be familiar with the dough piece immediately shrinking back after being rolled out or stretched. In most cases, the cause is excessive dough elasticity, which can be exacerbated by a number of factors. These include flour quality, the addition of gluten, oxidising agents or oxidative enzymes, intensive kneading, as well as firm or cold doughs with short resting times. The consequences are well known, as the dough becomes harder to shape, sticks and needs to be reworked. As a result, piece weights vary, process disruptions occur more frequently and there is excess waste.
Glutathione and protease: a powerful pair
GOOD NatureRelax utilises two components that occur naturally in wheat germ and act synergistically. Glutathione, a tripeptide with antioxidant properties, breaks down disulphide bonds in the gluten network and is consumed in the process. Meanwhile, the enzyme protease breaks down the protein chains of the gluten, thereby softening the dough, but is not consumed. Both active ingredients complement each other in their mode of action and, together, support gentle dough softening.
However, for this interaction to work reliably, the choice of raw material is crucial. Here’s where the GoodMills Group comes into its own, as monitoring at all 24 of its mill sites enables the quality and regional variation of the wheat germ to be continually assessed. The most suitable native germ is then gently stabilised in a complex process and undergoes further micronisation. The result is dough that feels more pliable and noticeably smoother, and passes through the production line more easily.
What this means for processing – both on the production line and by hand
In practice, the effect is immediately evident in several areas. The dough can be shaped more quickly and cleanly without tearing or needing to be corrected by hand. Precise weight portioning is made possible and the dough pieces retain their shape, which ultimately leads to more consistent results. This is immediately apparent on the production line: the machines grip the dough more cleanly, the dough pieces no longer become misshapen or torn, and the process runs more smoothly. This reduces waste and saves time during handling, as kneading time can be shortened by up to 15 per cent.
From pretzels to tray bakes: dosing explained
GOOD NatureRelax is designed for wheat doughs and is dosed at 0.1 to 1 per cent on top of milled grain products, depending on the specific application. In practice, dosages of 0.3 per cent for pretzels, 0.4 per cent for layered or laminated doughs such as croissants, and 0.5 per cent for rolled wheat pastries have proven effective. Other areas of application include baguettes, pizzas and tray bakes. The optimum dosage may vary depending on the recipe and process parameters, and should therefore be adjusted on a case-by-case basis.
As GOOD NatureRelax has a dough-softening effect, GoodMills Innovation recommends reducing the kneading time by up to 15 per cent (as previously mentioned) in order to optimise the full potential of the ingredient. And as it’s a natural alternative to inactive yeast and cysteine, GOOD NatureRelax should not be combined with these ingredients in order to avoid excessive dough softening.
