Alfa Crostadoro
A Novel Improver for Crust Colour
and Yeast Boosting
Alfa Crostadoro is a targeted improver solution which generates extra glucose from amylose and amylopectin.
Crust Color
The crust color can be significantly improved by the addition of Alfa Crostadoro. Figure 1 shows the effect on crust color using various dosages of the improver.
| Control | Alfa Crostadoro 50g/100kg flour | Alfa Crostadoro 60g/100kg flour | Alfa Crostadoro 70g/100kg flour |
|---|---|---|---|
Figure.1 – The effect on crust color using various dosages of Alfa Crostadoro
Fermentation Rate
The Alfa Crostadoro has a significant effect on the dough rising rate during proofing. This can be documented by measuring the dough behavior in the Chopin Rheofermentometer (figure 2).
Figure 2. The effect on dough fermentation rate of Alfa Crostadoro
Bread Volume
The Alfa Crostadoro has a positive effect on bread volume. Bakery tests have shown that the addition of 50g of improver per 100kg of flour increased the bread volume up to 15% (figure 3).
| Control | Alfa Crostadoro 50g/100kg flour |
|---|---|
| 100% | 117% |
Figure 3. The effect of Alfa Crostadoro on dough volume
Prebaked Bread
Today, prebaked bread is gaining in popularity and Alfa Crostadoro is very a useful improver for this specific baking technique. In this process the bread is baked at 90% and then frozen for storage. The addition of 60g of improver per 100kg of flour reduces 30% of the baking time (figure 4). This leads to a moister final bread with fewer cracks. (figure 5).
| Control | Control | Alfa Crostadoro 60g/100kg flour |
|---|---|---|
| 25 min baking | 17 min baking | 17 min baking |
Figure 4. The effect of Alfa Crostadoro on baking time of prebaked bread
| Control | Control | Alfa Crostadoro 60g/100kg flour |
|---|---|---|
| 25 min baking | 17 min baking | 17 min baking |
Figure 5. The addition of Alfa Crostadoro results in fewer cracks in prebaked bread
Dosage Recommendation
The dosage range is within 30g – 70g per 100kg of flour. The optimal dosage depends on flour quality and baking procedure therefore, it is recommended that the exact dosage be defined in bakery trials.