Chorleywood process

The Chorleywood process produced a considerable change in the way that many plant bakeries work. Even the Chorleywood process has evolved since potassium bromate has been prohibited and the process had to accommodate the use of other flour treatments. 

The Chorleywood process is chosen by bakeries that decide to make the cheapest possible bread. This sort of product has not enhanced the reputation of the product. 

One of the advantages claimed for the Chorleywood process is that it allows bread to be made from flour produced only from British wheat. This claim holds true in most years, except when there is a particularly bad harvest, e.g. as in 1987. The effect of the CBP and the CAP on Canadian flour tonnages are as follows imports were 2.5 million tonnes in the 1960s and are 300 000 tonnes today. 

The Chorleywood process has spread from the UK to Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. It is relatively little used in the USA for several reasons. The cost advantages of using lower grade flour are less in the USA than in the UK while the higher ambient temperatures in the USA mean that a Chorleywood plant would have to be heavily cooled. 

A further development from ADD methods is the use of spiral mixers by small bakers. These machines put energy into the dough less rapidly than the sort of mixer used in the Chorleywood process but a spiral mixer is less expensive and more versatile. The actual dough development time will always depend on the recipe, the flour improver and the flour but, for comparison, while a Chorleywood mixer will develop a dough in 2-5 min a spiral mixer will take 8-15 min. 

If required, dried fruit would be folded in before moulding. Note the savings from the extra water and the saving from a softer flour achieved by the Chorleywood process. 

This process takes its name from the Flour Milling and Baking Research Association that was situated at Chorleywood in Hertfordshire. The Association has since merged with the Campden Research association and has moved to Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire. 

Figure 6 A white loaf produced by the Chorleywood bread process (note the very even bubble size)...

In view of the above it is very difficult to predict the future however, here is an attempt. It is reasonable to suppose that the development of biotechnology will lead to still more enzymes being used in baked products. This could lead to a rapid biochemical system that would replace the Chorleywood bread process with a rapid enzyme-based dough development system. 

Chamberlain, N. and Collins, T.H. (1979) The Chorleywood Bread Process The role of oxygen and nitrogen. Bakers Digest 53(1), 18-19, 22-24. 

Flavour in food Edited by A. Voilley and P. Etievant The Chorleywood bread process S. P. Cauvain andL. S. Young... 

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