Page | 15 Proofer Operators Manual 1-2022 (English)
Copyright 2022 LBC Bakery Equipment Inc. Tulalip WA
Other Operating Precautions and Hints
• Condensation: Proper settings in the proofer are important to avoid some problems that
can occur due to excess condensation.
• Setting the temperature too high will cause excess condensation on the walls
and floor of the proofer. The walls and floor are heated by the proofer when the
unit is turned on, but when the proofing temperature is too high, the walls and
floor will not reach a temperature above the dew point for that temperature and
humidity setting. As a result, there is a continuous condensation of moisture.
This uses excess water and causes the interior of the proofer to become less
sanitary.
• Trying to dry the proofer by increasing the temperature setting will cause even
more condensation.
• Setting the humidity too high can result in a constant injection of humidity, which
drastically reduces the life of proofer components and uses an excess amount
of water. In the case of a water system treated by an RO system this can drain
the reserve tank on the RO system to where it will not produce humidity or can
in some cases will cause the RO system to bypass untreated water into the
proofer system.
• Uneven proofing:
• The process of proofing is much more passive than baking in an oven. The
process is not just raising the temperature of dough, but also holding the
temperature while the yeast in the dough does the work. Having the proofer set
to a temperature which is too high, will cause higher temperatures on the
outside of dough products while the inside is still trying to warm up. This same
affect happens to a full rack of product, where the outside edges of the rack
proof more than the inside.
• Overloading a proofer or a rack can also promote uneven proofing. The rack
with product needs space around it for air to circulate. Try to keep at least two
sides of each rack open for circulation. Additionally, loading product into the
rack without adequate space between sheet pans. The best rack spacing is to
leave a minimum of 1.5” space above the top of the finished, baked product.
• Never remove a rack from a cooler and place it directly into a proofer. This will
cause excess condensation on the cold product and will affect the environment
around other warmer racks in the proofer.
• In proofers that have capacity for more than 1 rack, it is best to insert the new
rack in the back of the proofer. This makes it much easier to check product that
is closer to ready without disturbing all the racks. This also reduces the
probability of a cold rack causing the proofer heat to turn on too much which
would dry out racks that have been in the proofer longer.
• Pass-thru Proofer and Retarder/Proofer operations:
The operation of a pass-thru proofer or retarder proofer is much different from the
operation of a single ended unit in the following ways:
Pass-thru operation can involve more than one operator. During proofing the
operator on the front-end places racks into the unit as they are ready to load. The
operator on the back-end pulls racks from the proofer when they are ready. It is
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