A traditional recipe and an industrial process: the advent of the Authentik baguette

Until now, when choosing a baguette, the consumer had to choose between two virtually opposite products. On the one hand, premium quality baguettes with a history, an artisanal aspect and a superior quality in terms of taste and nutritional value (sourdoughs, flours and specific ingredients...). On the other hand, the basic baguette, standardized and of inferior quality, which has the main advantage of being more affordable and adapted to a wide range of consumption. This binary choice is obsolete. Nowadays, the industry is able to offer an authentic baguette that assumes the nutritional and taste properties sought after by the consumer, while meeting the requirements of large-scale distribution

In this context, Mecatherm decided to create a new baguette, in collaboration with the French baker Éric Kayser, winner of several awards and author of numerous books such as the Larousse Book of Bread in 2019. The internationally renowned artisan baker made the same observation as the French industrialist: the consumption of the baguette has evolved and has given way to a new product designed for different consumption purposes. Eric Kayser thus contributed to the development of the recipe and the manufacturing process of this baguette by Mecatherm.

This quality product, born of the know-how of a renowned expert baker and an industrialist, takes into account the evolution of the market as well as the technical requirements of industrial bakeries. The result of this collaboration is a baguette at the crossroads of these two products: the Authentik baguette. For Éric Kayser, it has everything to appeal to consumers, who expect this product to remind them of traditional French craftsmanship and to satisfy them fully with its taste, texture and color. As for retailers, they will find in this product, designed for their displays, a quality baguette that meets their needs for limited handling, with a longer shelf life (+20%).

To obtain this well-balanced product, a synthesis of the traditional and the industrial baguette, the process is both simple and rigorous. To begin with, hydration, which is important for this product and which is made possible by autolysis, gives freshness to the crumb, making it appear airier. It also allows a substantial saving on the raw material. The resting time before baking is an essential step that gives the product its texture, taste and optimal structure. With healthier and purer ingredients (flour, water, salt, yeast and natural additives), the baguette regains its original purity and aroma, so sought after by consumers. It is the simplicity of bread that has made it the central food of our nutrition, by returning to these principles, the industry is restoring the baguette to its former glory.

Then comes the dividing and shaping process, which will allow the baguette to receive its final design. Thanks to the technological advances offered by Mecatherm, the dough is then divided without tearing it, nor stressing it. Indeed, the division technology called "no-stretch" allows to preserve the honeycomb structure of high hydration and long fermentation doughs while guaranteeing to the manufacturer a constant weight and a high level of hygiene. To give the product the ideal finish aspect, it is essential to handle the dough pieces with dexterity and delicacy, without crushing or altering them. This is why the shaping stage, although industrial, must be as close as possible to the baker's gesture, in order to give the product its form while preserving the glutinous structure. The complete baking of the baguette then allows to keep control of the product to guarantee its homogeneity and its final quality. During a presentation of the Authentik baguette, Marion Montillot, Head of Finished Products at Mecatherm, said: "It is very important to note that this product, which was frozen, required a reheating time of only three minutes, which is a considerable improvement compared to frozen pre-baked products such as the classic baguette." In fact, this feature allows the retailer to save on set-up costs as well as guaranteeing improved freshness since the Authentik baguette can be reheated on demand depending on how full the store shelves are.

Distributors and retailers have specific needs such as standardization of their products, ease of storage and transportation and high food safety requirements. Consumers, on the other hand, expect the baguette to have the classic features of the famous French bread at an affordable price. Thanks to a recipe developed in collaboration with a renowned expert - Éric Kayser, and thanks to Mecatherm's innovative technologies and industrial expertise, the Authentik baguette fully meets these two expectations, positioning it as a future reference product on the market.

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