Bakery & Patisserie
Refrigeration for bakeries
An Indian bakery bakes bread, pav, buns and rusks every morning, but its refrigeration needs come from the other side of the range: puff pastry, cream rolls, pastries, veg and chicken puffs, croissants, cookies and cakes. Butter, fresh cream, non-dairy whipped topping, fillings and doughs all need cold storage, and laminated doughs need cold butter in a bakery that can be very hot from the ovens. Refrigeration lets a bakery retard dough overnight, prepare fillings ahead, laminate puff pastry without the butter melting, and display cream products safely. It is also where many bakeries go wrong, by putting bread in the fridge, where it stales faster.
What the equipment has to cope with
- Ovens make the bakery very hot, especially in summer, which makes lamination difficult and loads every refrigerator.
- Butter for puff pastry and croissants must stay cold during lamination, and soft butter ruins the layers.
- Cream products such as cream rolls and pastries need cold holding and display, while bread does better at room temperature.
- Fillings for puffs and patties, including chicken and paneer, are perishable and must be stored like any cooked food.
- Monsoon humidity makes dough sticky and causes condensation on cold trays moved into a hot room.
Typical temperatures
| Retarded dough | +2 to +5 °C |
|---|---|
| Butter and margarine | +2 to +5 °C |
| Fresh cream and whipped topping | +2 to +5 °C |
| Cream rolls and pastries | +2 to +5 °C |
| Chicken and paneer puff fillings | +1 to +4 °C |
| Bread, pav and buns | Room temperature, not chilled |
| Frozen dough and puff sheets | −18 °C or colder |
Equipment
What to buy, and why.
Bakeries usually keep an upright reach-in in production for butter, cream, fillings and retarded dough, with tray slides sized to bakery sheet trays. Next to the lamination bench, an undercounter or worktop refrigerator holds butter blocks and dough between folds, so they do not travel across a hot room. A chest freezer holds frozen dough, puff pastry sheets, butter stock and frozen fruit. Front of house, a refrigerated pastry showcase displays cream rolls and pastries. Bread, pav and buns stay on ambient racks.
- +2 to +8 °CReach-in RefrigeratorProduction storage for butter, cream, fillings and retarded dough on sheet trays.Set-up guide
- +2 to +8 °CUndercounter RefrigeratorBench fridge beside the lamination and makeup bench for butter blocks, dough between folds and fillings in use.Set-up guide
- +4 to +10 °CDisplay Cases & ShowcasesFront-of-house pastry showcase for cream rolls, pastries, cakes and cream desserts.Set-up guide
- −18 to −60 °CDeep FreezerFrozen dough, puff pastry sheets, bulk butter, frozen fruit and backup sponges, so laminating and baking can be planned around the oven schedule.Set-up guide
Questions
- Should bread be stored in a refrigerator?
- No. Bread stales faster at refrigerator temperatures than at room temperature, even though it may resist mould a little longer. Keep bread, pav and buns on ambient racks for same-day sale, and freeze surplus if you need to keep it longer.
- How do I keep butter cold during lamination in a hot bakery?
- Keep butter and dough in a refrigerator right next to the lamination bench and rest the dough there between folds. Work in the coolest part of the day if possible, and use a worktop refrigerator so the bench surface itself stays cooler.
- Can I retard dough overnight in a regular reach-in?
- Yes. Retarding dough at around +2 to +5 °C overnight slows fermentation and develops flavour, letting you bake fresh in the morning. Use a reach-in with tray slides, cover dough trays to prevent drying, and keep the door closed as much as possible.
Before you buy
All guides- Reach-in vs Undercounter Refrigerator: Which to Choose6 min read
- Visi Cooler Buying Guide: Size, Glass, Placement6 min read
- Types of Commercial Refrigerators Explained6 min read
- Reach-in Refrigerator Guide for Hot Indian Kitchens6 min read
- Undercounter Refrigerator Guide: Sizes, Drawers, Fit5 min read
- Worktop Refrigerator & Counter Chiller Guide5 min read
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