Opening A Bakery? 3 Pieces Of Equipment You'll Need
Supplying a brand new bakery with all the bakery equipment that it needs can seem like an impossible task. You want to make sure that you choose the right equipment and get the most bang for your buck. You need to make sure that you think about what types of pastries you are planning on producing for your customers as well as the quantity since these two things will impact the pieces of equipment that you purchase. Here are at least three specific pieces of bakery equipment that you will need to get your bakery up and running:
1. Commercial Mixer
Since you will be mixing dough in large quantities, a simple home mixer isn't going to cut it. You will need a commercial mixer. Now, these come in all sizes, such as 5-quart mixers that sit on the countertop to 100-quart or more mixers that sit on the floor. If you're starting out, you may want to get a countertop mixer and work your way to a floor mixer.
2. Proofing Cabinet
Dough needs to rise before it bakes, and it needs to wise in a warm, humid environment. The best way to achieve this type of environment and to get the dough to rise quickly and consistently is to invest in a proofing cabinet. These come in a variety of styles and variations, such as undercounter and half-height models, solid or glass doors, split or full doors, etc.
3. Oven
You can't have a bakery without some type of an oven. Unfortunately, this is where things can get particularly tricky because there are so many different types of ovens. Ultimately, you need to look at the type of products that you'll be producing and the quantity. There are convection ovens, deck ovens, roll-in rack ovens, and revolving ovens.
- Convection ovens are the most common and popular, as they evenly and quickly bake a number of products, including cakes, pies, cookies, brownies, and bread. They are also the least expensive.
- Deck ovens are more common if you're focused on making specific types of breads and Artisan-style products since they produce a crisp crust. These tend to take up more space than convection ovens.
- Roll-in rack ovens allow you to wheel in a pan of goods into the oven to bake. Depending on the model, it can "grab" the pan and rotate it while it is baking to help produce even baking results. This helps to reduce labor and time on your end.
- Revolving ovens have revolving trays that you can load up with goods -- very similar to that to a rotisserie oven at a market or deli. These have a high capacity, which means they are relatively expensive.
Work with restaurant suppliers like DSL Northwest, Inc. to get the above equipment and anything else you'll need.