This year, the baking sector has espoused the benefits of plant-based food production, sustainable manufacturing, and health-focused innovations, and many people are looking forward to seeing the same concept next year. We are about to exit the turbulent roller coaster that was 2021, so we must look ahead to a much-awaited beginning and cap off the year envisioning the baking trends of 2022.
More Flavor in Every Bite
There is no disputing that consumer health awareness is increasing. People committed to a better lifestyle are looking for methods to enjoy pastries healthily. The coronavirus pandemic served as a harsh reminder and reinforcer of the significance of wellness promotion. While consumers are unlikely to give up sweet delights, the industry continues to push the boundaries of guilt-free sweets. As a result, it is not surprising that bakery patterns for 2021 will continue to shift toward a bakery menu with more organic products and less sugar, dairy, and chemicals.
Despite a more robust dedication to higher-quality food, customers continue to seek authenticity. For the sake of taste, they aim to retain as much of the natural components as possible. Indeed, increasing nutrient benefit may often require adjusting to a somewhat changed flavor, but there are methods to put nutrients into pastries while providing 100% sweet tooth pleasure and zero guilt. More and more healthy recipes appear, with clever nutritional adjustments and imaginative use of additional protein, fiber, fruits, or whole grains. You’ll be amazed at how things you’d never think of using in a cookie or cake can completely alter a treat.
Many people who reduce their sugar intake are switching to more natural sources of sweetness, such as honey. Vanilla will also be used in more recipes as a healthier option to sweets and to improve the flavor of allergen-free or plant-based baked products that may acquire non-traditional tastes from nutritional components. Add flax seeds, dried fruits, or even chopped carrots or zucchini. Grass-fed butter is preferable to margarine tubs, which may include processed oils and dangerous trans fats.
Consequently, plant-based baking alternatives have progressed, with many bakers shifting to more green resources for butter, eggs, and even heavily processed white flour. There are healthier flour options derived from fruits and veggies than ever before, including bananas, kale, beets, mango, cassava, and sweet potato. When it comes to egg replacements, you have several options, including ground flaxseed for similar bonding properties, banana for sweetness and moisture, tofu for creaminess, and aquafaba for the protein and carbohydrates present in egg whites. Butter may be replaced with vegan butter or plant butter, but coconut oil, coconut butter, olive oil, nut butter, banana, and avocado work just as well.
Automation
In the baking industry, automation has long played an essential role. Commercial bakeries have used bread-slicing equipment, mixers, and dough systems with advanced piston depositors to increase output and reduce costs. Automation, however, does not just relate to baking machinery but also your normal company operations and the most monotonous administrative duties.
In reality, by automating them, you will increase your productivity and save yourself precious time and money. Gone are the days of keeping a spreadsheet with a list of all your goods and doing a stock count every time you check and fulfill an order. Inventory management software can automatically modify your stock levels when goods are sold, allowing you to monitor stock-outs and surplus stock quickly. Therefore, you’ll know precisely what interests you have on supply and if you run several bakery shops where they are situated. Do you often find yourself putting your employees on overtime to fulfill large orders? Or that you’re employing more people to keep up with your massive workload? Whichever you choose, you will pay labor costs, which can be expensive.
By adopting automation technologies that can perform heavy administrative lifting, you will not need to pay employees to work overtime or recruit more employees. These automation systems can plan and automate the monotonous admin activities that must be completed daily. This is the epitome of efficiency. When you start manufacturing more goods with less labor, your bakery may take on more orders, which equals more income for you!
Final Thoughts
Single-serve to-go alternatives such as mousse cups and microwave-safe cakes are also rising in the baking business. Low-prep baked goods were popular this year, and they will be again next year. As life gets busier by the day, easy, no-hassle recipes provide a chance to enjoy delectable pastries without being weighed down by lengthy, complex processes or an extensive list of ingredients. But on the cleaner side, next year’s bakery fads should lean more toward “the less waste and the fewer dishes in the sink, the merrier.”
