Brought to you by Arla Food Ingredients

Muffins, brownies, croissants – wherever you look in the fine bakery category, there’s a growing demand for premium, single-portion products that are enriched with protein. And not just a small addition, either. Today, consumers increasingly want to see anything from 20% to 40% protein on the label when they buy a bakery snack-to-go.

That’s four to eight times more than the protein content of a regular muffin recipe. As if that wasn’t challenging enough, consumers also expect a taste and texture that is indulgent to the core.

So, where do you start to maximize protein?

The first thing to understand is there is only one way to add that much protein to a bakery recipe. You have to take out something else. Then, you have to rebalance the entire recipe.

Depending on the fine bakery product, there are three basic strategies when making way for protein enrichment. They’re focused around reducing or eliminating:

• Flour
• Eggs
• Milk solids

Eliminating flour

Flour reduction is the obvious first step. Both the gluten and starch in flour influence the viscosity of the batter and the structure, texture and volume of the final bakery product. Application trials have shown that tailored whey and milk proteins can replace all the functionality of flour while raising the overall protein content. Due to the protein gelling properties, it is possible to counter the dryness that typically develops in high-protein products during shelf life.

Substituting egg

For many industrial bakers, egg is a hallmark of quality on product labels. However, whether bakers want to remove or simply reduce the egg in their recipes, whey protein is a proven substitute that adds both to the functionality and nutritional profile. High-protein muffins made with whey protein keep a fresh, moist feel throughout shelf life.

Cutting out milk solids

Due to the high concentration of protein in whey protein isolate and hydrolysates, they are an excellent alternative to the skimmed milk powder (SMP) often used in fine bakery. Whey permeate is another milk solids alternative of interest to maximize protein. In biscuits, cookies and croissants, for example, it serves as a direct, one-to-one SMP substitute – ideal if cost reduction is one of the objectives.

The right balance

An experienced whey and milk protein supplier, Arla Foods Ingredients can provide industrial bakers with the support they need to ensure the smooth production of high-protein products with maximum consumer appeal.

In muffin production that means:

• Maintaining the pumpable viscosity of the batter
• Achieving the desired volume and crumb structure
• Controlling browning during baking
• Delivering a complementary dairy taste with no off-notes

Contact Arla Foods Ingredients to find out how our Nutrilac® protein ingredients can optimise protein fortification in fine bakery.

Drop us a line at [email protected].