[Advertisement]

The production from outside, or rather the huge flour silos of this

BAKERY WISHES – a look behind the scenes – I dare say that most people only know their baker from "in front of the counter," or—which is perfectly normal—have never had the chance to peek behind the scenes into the true heart of a bakery. I've been fortunate enough to have visited a few bakeries in Munich, and I'm all the more thrilled that I was able to stop by the Wünsche artisan bakery in Gaimersheim and immerse myself in the production process for a day. It was so interesting, let me tell you! We all know that baking is so much more than just mixing flour, eggs, and water and setting an alarm in the middle of the night. But after today, I'll be looking at a bakery bag with a completely different perspective.

(Is the Wünsche bakery completely new to you? – Then you can find out more here about the History, background, and philosophy (You can read about the wishes of the bakery located in Gaimersheim.)

Wünsche Bakery – a first look inside and at the production

Contrary to many expectations, I have to disappoint you right at the start – actually, twice over. You won't be greeted by a thick, white cloud of flour when you enter a bakery – wearing a hairnet, shoe covers, and a breathable apron – nor will you immediately smell of freshly baked rolls and bread. That only comes at the very end, but let's start from the beginning. Such a production facility is, first and foremost, large! But not in the sense that everything is automated and can be done without the skilled work of the bakers and employees present; no, "large" in the sense that everything has to be extremely well-planned and logistically and organizationally distributed across vast production areas.

A look inside the well-stocked raw materials warehouse of the Wünsche bakery

Starting with its striking, meter-high silos, the Wünsche bakery production facility is easily recognizable from afar. Each of the six silos can hold up to 30 tons of flour. During my visit, they were all filled with flour – each one certified with the "Protected Quality Bavaria" seal. The varieties: light and dark wheat flour, as well as spelt and rye flour. Trucks arrive daily to fill each silo – the required amount of flour doubles depending on the season (Easter, Christmas, etc.). The total amount of flour needed depends on the daily orders from the approximately 300 bakeries. This allows for resource-efficient operation and prevents waste. Before heading into the production area, or rather, the "silo room," I was given a tour of the receiving area and the raw materials warehouse. Even there, it quickly becomes clear that logistics and the organization of the individual processes in such a bakery are crucial to its success.

The production hall from above – or at least part of it. 😉

After passing through the receiving area and raw materials warehouse, I found myself with the production manager in a two-story "silo room" containing numerous silos filled with the so-called "liquid and intermediate ingredients." This room houses all the sourdoughs and pre-ferments, which mature and develop their flavors, as well as additional containers for whole-grain flours and salts, liquid yeast, and rapeseed oil. Contrary to what one might assume, they don't just bake or work with margarine; they also use a lot of rapeseed oil. After leaving this technically complex room, I couldn't help but wonder how long it takes (or took) to plan and implement such a large system that has to meet the specific needs of an artisan bakery. So I was quite surprised when I was told that the "liquid and intermediate ingredient system" had taken a full three years to develop. Of course, it's not just bakers who are needed, but also IT specialists, engineers, and others. The installation and completion of this system alone took a whole year. Crazy, right?

After that, we went into the actual bakery. The first glimpse inside was much more like what one would imagine a bakery to be. Right at the beginning, I learned that the departments are divided into "Bread, Rolls and Pretzels" and "Fine Bakery, Confectionery and Snacks," each employing up to 25 people.

The fermentation room gives the finished products the necessary rest.

Production – step by step

So, we're at the beginning of the production process. The first station is the "dough preparation," because nothing is possible without it. Here, the various doughs are made in enormous vats, or rather, in highly sophisticated weighing and kneading machines, and then set aside to rest. Next comes the "dough processing." For this, the huge doughs (up to 200 kilograms) are tipped into dough weighers and, depending on the product, portioned, shaped, and finished. Of course, the "dough preparation" and "dough processing" departments work closely together to ensure that the rhythm, quantity, and timing are perfectly coordinated. In fact, you should imagine the entire process, from raw material to the baked goods in your bag, as a long series of ingenious, handcrafted steps.

After that, depending on the product, they go into the proofing room. During my visit, there were many trolleys there loaded with trays of Easter cakes and other baked goods, waiting for further processing or the subsequent baking process in the oven. Before the oven, all products undergo a final shaping, because everything – even though it's made by hand piece by piece – should always look as uniform as possible. Once the baked goods are baked, removed from the oven, and cooled, everything is prepared for shipping – another large hall with a great deal of expertise and organization behind it – counted, and loaded into the approximately 40 trucks. Then it's off to the individual bakeries.

Here the dough is being "tipped" and the shaping can begin…

Something else I hadn't realized until my visit to the production facilities: Since the more than 280 bakeries are located throughout southern Bavaria, careful logistical planning is essential. Many bakeries receive their ordered products (each bakery determines its daily needs for baked goods) freshly baked, but also delivered frozen, so they can bake as needed several times a day in ovens equipped with the appropriate programs. In other words, everything arrives on the shelves perfectly fresh and identical to all the other Wünsche bakeries – ready for our shopping.

In summary…

…that there's much more to a bakery like this than you might imagine. It starts with the working hours and shifts that the trained bakers complete to ensure a continuous supply of freshly baked goods. Then there are the strict hygiene regulations and constant quality controls, right up to the logistical and technical challenges and requirements. After several hours (…time flies when you get to walk through such a production process…) when I left the bakery – without a trace of flour on my nose – I had a very positive first impression.

Here, the bread is transported on large trays into the ovens…

The figures mentioned at the end also impressed me: Up to 24 tons of flour from the region are processed daily. The entire production area covers over 8,000 square meters, of which over 250 square meters are oven space (…if you were to place them side by side…). Depending on the season, over 300 different products are produced. And yet, Wünsche Bakery remains a traditional artisan bakery where skilled and highly trained employees work by hand. Simply pressing a button on a machine in the morning and delivering fresh, standardized rolls a few hours later – that's not how it works here.

I had a blast and I'm already looking forward to the day I get to twist pretzels by hand and try my hand at being a "baker's apprentice" for a day. So, in the next article for you: a detailed "making of" from the Wünsche pretzel bakery: How are they made and what's important in the process? Where does a pretzel actually get its beautiful brown color (...and what does it taste like without lye...?) Stay tuned.

+++ This article was created in cooperation with the Wünsche bakery. Thank you! +++

Contact for inquiries

Wünsche Bakery (Head Office) | Gutenbergstrasse 11, 85080 Gaimersheim
Website

Details: more than 250 bakeries; over 300 different products in the range;
Preserving tradition and craftsmanship; baking according to in-house recipes

Become a Facebook fan and don't miss a thing!

Pictures: