Design of a measurement device for bread dough proofing

Abstract

The structure of yeasted breads is created during the multiple stages of bread-making: mixing, proofing, and shaping. These stages serve to develop a network of gluten and air bubbles which leaven the dough and allow it to rise and achieve its final form during baking. One of the most time-sensitive and critical stages is the final period before baking, also known as the final proof. During this stage, starches in the flour break down into sugars, which are consumed by the yeast. The yeast then produces bubbles of carbon dioxide that are suspended in the dough's gluten structure. The goal of the final proof is to create the optimal dough structure for the highest bread rise during baking. However, there is a narrow window of time in which the dough is optimally proofed. If the dough is left to proof for too long, also known as overproofing, the air bubbles will grow so large that they pop and tunnel, resulting in the bread collapsing in the oven. An underproofed dough may never achieve the correct rise in baking. The boundary between the proper proofing and an over- or under-proofed dough can be as little as fifteen minutes. This optimal window is dependent on the type of dough, ambient temperature, and humidity. Without controlling each of these factors, non-industrial bakers must rely on experience or the imprecise "poke test" to ascertain whether the dough is properly proofed. This research work seeks to design a device that quantitatively measures the dough's level of proofing and identifies when the dough is optimally proofed and ready for baking. By using a precise measurement for dough structure, the non-industrial baker can then adapt to any variable that affects the final proof.