How Food Emulsifiers Improve Bread Volume

Date:2025-08-15

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Bread with insufficient volume can be frustrating for both home bakers and commercial bakeries. In the baking industry, loaf volume is more than just a visual factor—it affects texture, softness, and overall consumer appeal. If your bread consistently turns out smaller than expected, the cause could be linked to formulation and process parameters. One proven solution is the use of food-grade emulsifiers.

Why Bread Volume Matters?

Bread with low volume tends to be dense, heavy, and less appealing to customers. A well-developed loaf has an airy crumb, soft bite, and visually attractive height — all of which influence purchasing decisions. Large-scale bakeries and artisan producers alike strive for consistent loaf volume to maintain product quality and brand reputation.

Chemsino emulsifier for improving bread volume

Chemsino emulsifier for improving bread volume

Common Causes of Low Bread Volume

Insufficient gluten development – Weak gluten networks cannot hold enough gas during fermentation.

Poor gas retention – Dough that cannot trap CO₂ loses volume during proofing or baking.

Inadequate mixing or proofing – Over- or under-mixing and incorrect proofing times disrupt dough structure.

Flour quality issues – Low-protein flour or poor-quality wheat affects dough elasticity.

How Food Emulsifiers Improve Bread Volume?

Food emulsifiers such as DATEM (Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters of Monoglycerides), SSL (Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate), and GMS (Glycerol Monostearate) are widely used to improve loaf volume and crumb structure in high-speed bread production. They work by:

Strengthening gluten networks – Emulsifiers interact with gluten proteins to form stronger, more elastic dough.

Enhancing gas retention – By stabilizing the dough structure, they allow more gas to be trapped during fermentation and baking.

Improving dough handling – Dough becomes more tolerant to mechanical stress in industrial mixers.

Producing a finer crumb – Stronger dough structure results in a more uniform, appealing texture.

Choosing the Right Emulsifier for Your Bread

DATEM – Best for high-volume bread lines; provides excellent gluten strengthening.

SSL – Ideal for enhancing softness and shelf life, along with volume.

GMS – Improves crumb softness and slows staling.

Chemsino emulsifier in bread

Practical Tips for Better Bread Volume

Use high-quality flour with sufficient protein content.

Optimize mixing times to achieve proper gluten development.

Maintain correct proofing conditions (temperature, humidity, and time).

Select the right emulsifier blend based on your bread type and production method.

Final Thoughts

If you are struggling with small bread volume in your bakery, consider evaluating your recipe for the inclusion of the right emulsifiers. These functional ingredients are a proven way to enhance loaf size, texture, and consumer appeal without major process changes.

Ready to improve your bread quality? Contact our team at CHEMSINO for customized emulsifier solutions that meet your production needs and keep your customers coming back for more.

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