ProEclair – Automated production of preservative-free choux pastry

Small and medium-sized bakeries and confectioneries are facing more and more competition especially due to the wide-spread use of ready-made industrially manufactured bakery products. Because time and money are often limited, less bakers are willing to produce time-consuming, hand-made high-quality traditional products such as choux pastry.
Bakery goods such as cream puffs, doughnuts, éclairs, profiteroles and dumplings are baked using choux pastry. Currently, the choux paste is produced in a laborious manual process. After manufacturing, the paste must be processed very quickly because of its unstablility due to its composition. Choux paste is therefore being replaced increasingly by convenience baking powder mixes. These powder mixes contain chemical additives and no longer have the high-quality character of traditional choux pastry products.

Project information

Project title

ProEclair – Automated process for stable preservative free pastry base mix for high added value bakery goods to increase the competitiveness of SME bakeries

Project duration

November 2008 – October 2011

Grant authorities

European Union

Project partners

Landesinnungsverband für das württembergische Bäckerhandwerk e.V., Germany
C.E.B.P. aisbl, Belgium
Fédération Patronale de la Boulangerie du Bas-Rhin, France
Rheotest messgeräte medingen GmbH, Germany
Proderma AG, Switzerland
Huhnseal AB, Sweden
Fernando Domínguez SLU, Spain
Westsik Vilmos Élelmiszeripari Szakképző Iskola, Hungary
Bäckerei Konditorei SAILER GmbH, Germany
Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V. Germany
The Uk Intelligent Systems Research Institute Limited, United Kingdom
Nofima, Norway
Verband für Kaufleute und Dienstleister, Italy
zoatec GmbH, Germany
Unione commercio turismo servizi Alto Adige, Italy
Siegel Backkultur, Germany

Development and results

© Fraunhofer IGB
Preparation for baking.

Objective

The objective of the ˝ProEclair˝ project funded by the EU is to produce the traditional choux paste automatically under aseptic conditions in order to increase its shelf life substantially. We are aiming at a four week storage period at 4 °C. The choux paste can then be stored ready for use so that there is no need for defrosting or fresh preparation. This saves time significantly, which is another considerable advantage over baking powder mixes. The latter ensures that this high quality product remains cost-effective.

Solution

In the ˝ProEclair˝ project funded by the European Union, the Fraunhofer IGB, together with its project partners from associations, companies and research institutions, has developed an automated process for the production and packing of traditional choux paste under aseptic conditions. The choux paste is filled directly into sterile closed piping bags, so that the packaged paste can be kept fresh and ready for use. The system is also equipped for cleaning in place (CIP).

Results

Together with its partners, the Fraunhofer IGB has proven in comprehensive joint trials that both the baking and sensory properties of the choux paste developed were equal to those of the freshly made traditional product even after a long storage period. A prototype of the production line is currently under construction.

Applications

The system is ideal for the centralized manufacture of choux paste followed by decentralized further processing in bakery branches. The project partners aim to evaluate the system for other unstable basic mixtures and pastries, and adapt the production process to deal with them as well.

Funding

Te research leading to results in this project has received funding from the European Union's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreement n° 218351-2.