Biscuit

Latin word (Bix- twince, cuit- bread)

Biscuit is a kind of crisp and dry bread, more or less hard, variously flavored, usually unleavened and prepared in small flat, thin cakes.
It is confectionary product dried down to a less moisture content.

For biscuits, m. c. is less than 6% (Nepali standard) if it is more than 6% the crispiness is lost and the product is prohibited in the market.

The definition of biscuit may vary from place to place eg: biscuits (U.K), cookies (U.S.A.)

*Classification of biscuits:

Biscuits are broadly classified as

1. Soft dough biscuits 2. Hard dough biscuits

1. Soft dough biscuits:

Soft and weak flour are generally used to manufacture the soft dough biscuit which includes all the sweet biscuits. Protein content of the
flour is 7- 8%. Soft dough contains more fat and less water so gluten is only particularly developed.

High amount of sugar incorporated in the dough has softening action on the gluten, sundering it more extensible and consequently
Reducing shrinkage caused by toughening (by fat). Sweet biscuit generally has a fat content of approximately 30% of flour content.

2) Hard dough biscuits:

Hard and strong wheat flours generally used to manufacture the hard dough biscuits which are unsweetened and or unsweetened and or
semi sweet and include all types of crackers, puff dough biscuit and semi sweet verities.

The protein content of flour is higher than 8%. The sugar content is very low or not at all. The fat content rarely exceeds dough contrast
to soft dough types. It has fully developed gluten structure. There are two types of hard biscuits.

A) Fermented hard biscuits (crackers):

Crackers are hard dough biscuits which required fermented dough. Such type of biscuit has flaky texture and crunchy bite. Gluten
is somewhat developed by yeast.
B) Simple hard biscuits:
Generally strong type of flour is used to manufacture puff dough biscuits. Such type of biscuits consistently flours, water and salt
which are mixed to prepare dough.
It may include fat 5% of the flour and malt extract for flour eg: sweet biscuits (glucose, horlicks)

*Raw Materials for Biscuit

1) Flour
Usually soft flour (low protein) is appropriate for biscuits which don't require great expansion and elasticity like bread. The
percentages of gluten content for different types of biscuits are:

Soft flour: generally gluten 7-8%

Medium flour: crackers dough gluten 8-9 %,

Strong flour: crackers dough gluten 8.5-10%

The flour for biscuits should be free flowing, no packed. When squeezed, dry to the touch, free from any visible bran particles and
creamy white in color. It should be free from m/o.
The m.c. of such type of flour should be 13 %.

2) Fat
Fat is used in manufacturing biscuit generally for shortening, palatability and good texture of the product. The fat or oil are
generally present to extent not than 1% High fat content denote a low quality as it causes rancidity development during storage
period .The most common fat used in the biscuits are beet fats and hydrogenated vegetable oils, cotton seeds oil and soya bean oil.

3) Sugar
It is the major ingredients for the manufacture of any type of biscuits. Sucrose is used to sweeten the biscuits. It influences the
biscuits dimension and texture. It undergoes caramelization during baking which develops texture and improves the sugar bloom
of the product.
It also acts as anti-oxidant due to which rancidity inhibit. Besides sugar, other sweetening agent like honey, corn syrup, malt
extract, malt syrup, lactose is used in biscuits manufactures.
 Functions of sugar are:
1) Impart sweetness
2) Increase tenderness
3) Contribute to volume
4) Develop a pleasing crust odor
5) Assist the retention of moisture
6) Give an attractive finish

4) Leaving agents

Leavening agent are those which provide ' raising ' or leaving agents are;
1) To increase palatability and improve texture
2) Bite and good texture and appearance
In biscuits, the choice of baking powders is rather limited. In commercial manufacture Ammonium bicarbonate and sodium
bicarbonate either alone or on combination are useful only in the products that are to be baked at cow m. c., since these is
retains high.
Generally, sodium bicarbonate is used as a gas source due to following reasons:
 Low cost
 Lack of toxicity
 Easy to handle
 Relatively tasteless and high degree of purity
 When it is heated, carbonate as residue. It works softening action on gluten causing spreading and darkening of the crumbs.

5) Water

Water used for biscuit manufacturing should be potable. Impure water affects the dough quality and hence quality of biscuit is
decreased. Water preferred for baking is usually of medium hardness with neutral pH or slightly acidic. Water that is too soft can result
sticky dough form while very hard water may retard dough expansion by toughening the gluten.

6) Milk and its products

 Milk and milk products generally used in biscuit manufacturing are to improve flavor and physical characteristics as well as
nutritive value.

7) Anti- oxidants

Anti-oxidants are chemical which retard the chance of rancidity. Anti-oxidants should be non iconic, effective in low cost,
shouldn't impart any undesirable flavor and color to the product.

The most important anti-oxidants are Non-Dihydroguiarchic acid (NDGA), propyl galate (PG) and dodecygallate and butyrated hydroxy
anisole (BHA).

8) Salt

Salt in biscuit is primarily used as flavoring agent. In crackers, it can also be used to control fermentation. It reduces the sourness of
acids, toughening effect on the gluten in the dough . Refined salt should be used in between 1-3%.

9) Optional ingredients

 Cereal and cereal products

 Fruits and fruits products
 Spices: Ginger, chili, cardamom, coffee powder, chocolate etc.
# General flow chart of biscuit manufacturing
Weighing Raw material sifting and Analysis

Mixing

Dough kneading

Sheeting

Cutting

Labeling and embossing

Panning

Baking

Cooling

Packaging
 Mixing and manufacturing are different in different types of biscuits

Flow sheet of soft dough process (Glucose)

Fat, sugar, syrup preparation of ingredients

Sieving, weighing analysis

Creaming Mixing

Kneading

Consists of leveling forming (moulding ) and embossing

Baking

Cooling

Wrapping and packing

Storage

Notes:

 No sheeting is necessary
 For soft dough biscuits, moulding and embossing are difficult
 Flow sheet of simple hard dough process

Preparation of ingredients

Creaming Mixing

Kneading

Performing: cutting, moulding , embossing

Baking

Cooling

Packaging

Here, performing is intentionally done pairs of smooth roller develops sheet, laminates and takes into required thickness.

Mixing and kneading

Mixing and kneading are most important unit operation of biscuit manufacturing process. Proper mixing equipments and mixing
methods play a vital role in the production of good biscuits.

All major ingredients are weighed correctly and then transferred into the vessel for mixing purpose. The remaining ingredients like
shortening, flavoring agents in the form of cream are added then mixing and kneading is done. Baking powder is also added and final
mixing and kneading process are done up to desires level to produce suitable dough.
 There are two basic types of mixing methods for unfermented dough

1) Creaming up
In this method some of the ingredients are ultimately mixed with the shortening to perform a cream like mass prior to the addition
of flour. Fat, sugar, emulsifier, color and flavoring agents are mixed at high speed about 8-12 minutes and salt, soda, ammonia and
water are added and mixed for additional 2 minutes. Flavor is added and mixed to get homogenous dough usually; it is about 4
minutes in high speed mixer and 8-10 minutes in low speed mixer. This method is most suitable for soft dough type biscuit.
2) All in one
All the ingredients are added together and mix for 20-40 min depending up to the mixer. The dough should be extensive and
should not be spring back (elastic) as it will result in the irregular shape of biscuit. Chemical modifier like sodium or potassium
Meta bisulphides will improve the extensibility.
About 20-30 min is allowed to stand for the suitable gluten formation. This method is suitable for the hard, semi-hard type dough
biscuits.

# performing and forming

Hard dough is conditioned after they pass through the heavy break that flattened the dough and cut into the sheet of appropriate
thickness. The breaking of the dough is often made in two stages – the final reducing the dough to sheet and in second break the dough is
prepared for final cutting. Soft dough is directly fed into moulding dices and moulding to requirement. There is no dough scrapes in soft
dough

#Baking

The main objective of baking is to remove the extra moisture present in dough pieces by gradually heating. The cut pieces are
baked by travelling through belt into oven which eventually consist three sections.

In the first section, the structure is raised by co 2 chemical or yeast leavened) or by steam. Introduction of steam keeps creating
shiny crust formation, prevention of cracked crust and increased the volm of biscuits.

The next section causes the setting of dough structure either by coagulation of the protein network or by early stage of drying out
of the dough. The last section of the oven is used to dry out the formed biscuits to required low m. c. and also caramelization and
maillard types of rxn develop to give the crust color and flavor.
 During baking, many, physical and chemical changes are occurred.

Physical changes

 Crust formation on top

 Softening of fat
 Gas release and volm expansion
 Conversion of water into steam
 Escape of co2, other gases and steam

# Chemical changes

 Gas formation – composition of rxn of chemicals and release of gases e.g.: co2, NH3 etc
 Caramelization of starch.
 Gelatinization of starch.
 Coagulation of protein.
 Fermentation in case of yeast.

# Cooling

Cooling after baking is an important part of the biscuit production. The biscuit when removed from the oven are very hot, very soft and
usually Very moist. As cooling proceeds, the biscuit set to dry and have right structure.

# Packaging

Biscuit is dried food containing 2-8 moisture and have RH 10-30%. As being hydroscopic, they can absorb water from the surrounding
so they are either packed in thin or wrapped in moisture proof packaging material or low water vapor transmission rate (WVTR)
packaging materials.

If left in ambient air, the fat is oxidized into fatty acid and hence produces off – odor and off-odor –flavor.

#fermented dough
A sponge containing one third of flour is used to mix with about 50-60% water and yeast for 10-15 min left for fermentation at 25-
270c and 80% RH and allowed to ferment for about 4-12 hrs depending upon requirement.
 All other ingredients are mixed together for about 10-15mins to get dough similar to hard dough.
There are three basic methods of mixing fermented dough. These are
a) The straight dough process
b) The sponge dough process
c) The flying sponge dough process

Process flow chart

Flour (1/3 of flour)

Shifting

Creaming (50-60)%

(1-2)% fat Mixing water, yeast, sugar

Fermentation 2-3hrs

2/3 rd of flour water (50-60%) Mixing and kneading (15-20) min

Performing (sheeting & laminating)

Forming cutting, moulding, embossing

 Panning

Baking

De panning

Cooling

Packaging