Last Updated on 20th August 2021 by
There’s something universally enticing about opening your own bakery – the early mornings, the smell of freshly baked goodies, the handmade dough. Nevertheless, running a bakery successfully requires more than just passion for baking. You also need to be highly skilled and have the proper pieces of commercial bakery equipment to get the job done right every single day.
The array of equipment you will need to outfit even the simplest bakeshop can be confusing and intimidating. For that very reason, we’ve compiled a list of tips to help you find and buy the best bakery equipment for your needs!
Dough Preparation
When making baked goods, it all starts with the dough. This is why mixing the dough properly is essential for the texture and quality of the end product.
Although small artisan-style shops might prefer mixing their bread dough by hand, today, most commercial bakeries have at least one dough mixer on their premises.
Commercial Mixers
Commercial planetary mixers come in a range of sizes, starting from small 5 qt. countertop models ranging to 100+ qt. floor units. Most commercial bakeries typically have a couple of large floor units, and might greatly benefit from the portable nature of countertop models which they can use to mix up small batches of fillings or icing quickly and easily.
Dough Dividers & Sheeters
Dough dividers can take a large batch of dough and separate it into equally weighted and sized balls of dough which are needed for making bread, pies, or even pizza crusts. Dough sheeters, on the other hand, can roll and stretch a ball of dough out to the thickness and size you need.
These specialised pieces of bakery equipment help improve the consistency in your pies and pizza dough crusts. They are great labour savers, however, they’re most commonly used by bigger establishments with high volume outputs on a daily basis.
Holding/Proofing
When you’re proofing bread dough, you are leaving it to rise before baking. And since dough rises ideally in humid and warm environments, you will need to invest in proofing cabinets. These pieces of equipment create the right humidity and temperature levels to get consistent results.
You can buy cabinets designed just for proofing or cabinets that also have a hot holding function. Models that are a combination of proofing and holding cabinets provide you with a much-desired versatility – you can proof dough and keep the end product hot and ready to serve in the same cabinet!
Baking
The heart of every bakery is its oven , and when setting up your bakery, you’ll have tons of baking machine models to pick from.
The most important thing to consider is the types of products you plan on producing and their quantities as these factors will affect the type of oven that would best serve your needs. But regardless of which type of oven you end up going for, you will need to have it installed under a ventilation hood.
Convection Ovens
This of the most commonly used and least expensive pieces of commercial bakery equipment. Convection ovens are ideal for evenly and quickly baking a range of products, such as cookies, bread loaves, pies, cakes, brownies and more.
They use internal fans to circulate the air, creating even browning and delicious goodies. Some more expensive models of convection ovens come with steam injection and a range of other specialised features that can take your end goods to the next level.
Evaluate your needs and shop accordingly.
Deck Ovens
Artisan bakers and those who are dedicated to making specific types of bread, prefer working with a deck oven . These pieces of equipment give the crust a unique crispy character while keeping it perfectly moist and soft inside.
They can be found in a single deck and a multi-deck style. Their simple design and few moving parts make them long-lasting and easy to operate. If you’ve set your sights to an oven of this kind, keep in mind that they take up a considerably larger amount of space compared to convection ovens.
Roll-In Rack Ovens
Roll-in rack ovens have a similar concept like roll-in refrigerators or proofing cabinets as you can wheel a pan rack full of fresh goodies straight into the oven for baking.
This type of baking machine is known for its time and labour savings as it involves less product handling. Some more high-end models can rotate the pan rack while baking for better and more even results.
Revolving Ovens
Revolving ovens feature large revolving trays which you can load with products and leave them to bake. Their concept is similar to the one of a rotisserie-style oven which can be commonly seen at a market or a deli.
Revolving ovens have a large capacity and output capability, but can be also a bit more expensive than the rest of the models that we mentioned. Calculate your budget and output needs first to see whether you really need to buy an oven of this kind.
Display and Sales
Bakery Display Cases
If you plan on having a large retail part in your bakery, you’ll need to consider the kind of bakery display cases you will install. You can find a range of styles and choose between commercial refrigerators and non-refrigerated options, depending on the type of products you plan on selling.
Your best bet is investing in a mix of both. You also need to decide whether you need a self-serve display case or one that’s designed for serving customers from behind the counter.
There truly is a wide array of styles and sizes available, so make sure you do your homework before buying and consider your budget.
Bottom line is, finding the right pieces of commercial bakery equipment for your business is just one step in starting and running a successful bakery. Besides buying the best equipment for your needs, make sure to stock up on other tools as well such as bread knives and other small ware that you will need in your daily operations!
