Frozen bakery products are a growing global trend in the baking industry. Although Ukrainian consumers are already familiar with ready-made puff pastry and semi-finished products, frozen bread and pastries are still something quite new on the market. Since 2021, ‘Rumianets’ has been actively expanding its range of frozen bakery products. Thanks to quick-freezing technology, we can deliver high-quality, delicious bread and pastries not only across Ukraine but also beyond its borders.
We asked our technologists and engineering team to tell us more about the technologies of quick and blast freezing, our equipment, and special features of the TM ‘Rumianets’ frozen product range.
Quick and Blast Freezing Technology
The main purpose of quick freezing is to extend the shelf life of finished or semi-finished products without compromising their taste, quality, and nutritional value.
The essence of quick-freezing technology lies in the rapid cooling of either a dough piece or a product that is 80–100% ready. The temperature of the product drops sharply, and the moisture contained in it turns into tiny ice crystals. As a result, the cellular structure of the product remains intact, which helps preserve its texture, flavor, and composition.
Using quick-freezing technology, the cooling process takes approximately 2–3 hours and follows a specific temperature scheme:
- from +16°C to 0°C – the cooling stage, when the product is prepared for freezing.
- from 0°C to –10°C – the crystallization stage, when the moisture inside the product turns into ice crystals.
- down to –18°C – complete freezing of the product.
In blast freezing technology, the temperature reduction scheme is similar; however, at the final stage the product is frozen at temperatures below –18°C.
Bread and other bakery products frozen using quick or blast freezing methods can maintain their freshness for up to 180 days. Most importantly, during this time up to 90% of the nutrients contained in the products are preserved.
Equipment
At our production facility, products are frozen using modern, high-tech equipment. Currently, we operate a specific blast freezer at the production site as well as a specially equipped frozen products department with cold storage facilities at our logistics center.
The quality of freezing equipment plays a crucial role, as it ensures the proper quick-freezing process and the correct storage conditions for the products. The freezing equipment installed at our facility is equipped with components from reliable European manufacturers, including Güntner (Germany), Tecumseh (France), and others.
The logistics of frozen products also requires strict temperature control. We deliver these products using refrigerated trucks that maintain the required temperature throughout transportation.
TM ‘Rumianets’ Frozen Product Line
The quick-freezing technology allows products to be frozen at different stages of readiness. Currently, TM ‘Rumianets’ offers three types of quick-frozen products:
- Fully ready-to-eat frozen products (require only defrosting). Examples include donuts and zavyvanets rolls.
- Frozen pre-baked products, 90% readiness (require final baking). This category includes our frozen breads. All of our products are made with natural ingredients, which is why consumers value craft bread so highly. Nearly all TM ‘Rumianets’ breads are made using scalded flour and sourdough starters. To make such a loaf from scratch takes at least 5–6 hours and requires qualified personnel, whereas finishing 90% ready frozen bread takes only 10–15 minutes of baking.
- Frozen pre-proofed products (require full baking). This category is particularly popular in the HoReCa segment. Croissants serve the best example. Nowadays, coffee shops prefer to serve croissants baked on-site and using pre-proofed dough significantly streamlines this process.
You can find the full range of our frozen products in our catalogue.
Key Advantages of Using Frozen Bakery Products:
- Minimal
investment in equipment and additional space for baking on-site.
- The
ability to expand your menu/assortment with “freshly baked” goods, which
are rapidly gaining popularity.
- High
quality of frozen products and unique recipes.
- A
wide range of craft, high-recipe products allows you to choose items that
perfectly match the style and culinary concept of your establishment or
retail outlet.
- Preventing
waste, as the products can be baked or finished according to daily demand
and sales.
With frozen products, your establishment will always have fresh goods on the shelves, filling the air with the irresistible aroma of delicious baked treats!
