Effect of near-infrared radiation and jet impingement heat transfer on crust formation of bread

Rapid heat transfer methods can be used to speed up the baking, process and create new product properties. This study investigates the effect of air jet impingement and infrared radiation (alone or in combination) on crust formation of par-baked baguettes during post-baking. The parameters investigated are crust color; crust thickness, total water loss, and heating time. The results show that infrared radiation and jet impingement, as compared with heating in a conventional household oven, increased the rate of color development of the crust and shortened the heating time. The fastest color development,was obtained by combining infrared and impingement heating. The water loss rate was increased due to the high heat transfer rate, but the total water loss was reduced because of the shorter heating time. Crust thickness was most dependent on heating time and crust temperature. In general, the crust was thinner for infrared-heated baguettes