Are you looking for industrial size retarder proofers or need them for your production setting? Be sure to check our industrial retarder proofers.
A retarder proofer is an investment that pays dividends for bakers. It gives bakers greater control over fermentation and flavour creation, saves significant staff and labour time, creates flexibility in production, and can automate difficult fermentation processes.
Interested in traditional Cold-Proofing? You’ll need a retarder proofer. Retarder proofers come with a condenser to allow you to set temperatures inside the unit that are lower than room temperatures. Many allow you to control humidity levels as low as 6°C (43°F). Cold proofing for long times can significantly increase flavour and improve texture.
Precise Control. A proofer can only turn the heat on and off, whereas a retarder proofer can turn on either heating or cooling, giving more precise and accurate temperatures. They can also come with control panels that allow you to save recipes with multiple stages of proofing for more complex flavour development or to automate the process of taking frozen dough and thawing it out before it begins to proof.
Eliminate early shift times. Retarder proofers can be loaded with the product the day before at refrigeration temperatures and then be programmed to automatically turn into proofing mode and be ready when you set in the morning. Bakers can walk in, take the product out of the retarder proofer, and load the oven, which also automatically turns on. The ideal combo for roll-in retarder proofers is Bassanina FR Compact; for reach-in retarder proofers is convection oven Bake Off Italiana Mistral.
Worried about staff needing to arrive on time? Most units like the Bongard HERA (reach in) or Bongard HERA (roll-in) have a door sensor so you can program it to go back into refrigeration mode so your product doesn’t over proof if your staff are late or forget to unload the unit!
Flexible Production. Interested in retarding overnight to save on the morning shift or doing a special long ferment product, but do you want to fast-proof in the day? Retarder proofers can be upgraded with extra heat and humidity, so they can also do fast proofing (typically one hour) in the day to quickly keep up with your rack oven. This can significantly reduce your footprint and allow you to produce a high volume of high-quality bakery products.
Typically, yes. Our reach-in retarder proofers come with adjustable tray slides, allowing you to customize the heights between your trays. For instance, the Bongard HERA (reach in) or Bongard HERA (roll-in) comes with 22 tray slides, but to accommodate the height of your product, you may only use 12, 18, or perhaps all 22 of them.
This feature ensures versatility and allows for the perfect fit for your baking projects, whether you're working with different dough sizes or specialty items.
It really depends on the type of retarder proofer you're getting.
Reach-in retarder proofers, if they come assembled and on wheels, can be rolled right into place with the help of a professional moving company. From there, they need to be hooked up to water and power and have access to a place for the condensate drain. All of the reach-in retarder proofers we carry come pre-assembled, minimizing installation costs and requirements. And for those without a place to drain the condensate from the condenser, some bakers connect this to a pan or bucket and empty this as needed into a sink.
Roll-in retarder proofers are typically built piece by piece, similar to walk-in refrigerators. This task is usually handled by a refrigeration crew, as the unit will need to be charged with refrigerant gas once built. Roll-in retarder proofers typically require water, power, floor and/or wall drains, level and sanitary and water-resistant floors like concrete, and more. It's crucial to consult with your manufacturer before making any final decisions to ensure you're fully prepared for the installation process.
Please note that smaller roll-in retarder proofers, like the Bongard HERA C link, can sometimes be ordered pre-assembled, saving significantly on installation and refrigeration costs.