The intersection of Daily Delights and Mindfulness Matters – two of four “transformative trends” identified by Dawn Foods – opens the door to an amazing opportunity for bakeries today.

Dawn identifies the trends in its new Global Bakery Trends. Daily Delights and Mindfulness Matters can be viewed through a single prism that sheds valuable light on what consumers truly want from the bakery and which types of sweet bakery products they are most eager and likely to purchase.

Daily Delights are represented through smaller-size portions that are perfect for the consumer who wants just a little indulgence in their day. As we place a stronger emphasis on mental health, consumers have increasingly changed their perceptions of sweet goods. Enjoying something sweet has gone from “something I feel guilty about” to “something that makes me feel good,” an essential part of a more balanced lifestyle.

As for Mindfulness Matters, today’s consumers are putting a great deal of thought into the foods they eat. Aware of how their choices affect their personal health, their community, and their planet, they’re looking for authenticity, and want to make a positive impact on the world.

Fast facts – 73% of consumers eat local as much as possible, and 61% are willing to pay more for sustainable options.

“Trends are being converted now on consumer terms,” said Sarah Hickey, senior director of marketing and insights. “For example, every culture has their own version of fried dough. People of different cultures agree on the same, ‘I know this emotion and this feeling.’”

Hickey accentuates the point that there are many innovative products and mashups in the sweet bakery sector, and together they offer consumers a global world of enticing flavor profiles and textures. But it’s even more than that.

“People love to indulge once a day and they want to be very mindful about their choice,” she explains, pointing out how Daily Delights and Mindfulness Matters intersect.

At the International Dairy Deli Bakery Association convention June 4-6 in Anaheim, Calif., Dawn Foods presented its patent-pending Dawn Exceptional® Pak Perfect™ Non-Sticky Donut Glaze. This breakthrough innovation, designed for small and industrial scale donut production lines, allows manufacturers, commissaries, and in-store bakeries to sell glazed yeast raised donuts packaged in a clamshell. Dawn Exceptional® Pak Perfect™ Non-Sticky Donut Glaze features a revolutionary non-sticky texture that leaves no residue and has a 5-Day packaged shelf-life.

In addition, Dawn Foods showcased a dazzling array of on-trend options for shoppers at the IDDBA show. Examples include Daisy Donuts made with Dawn Exceptional® Rich Taste Lemon Filling, Banana Split Cupcakes, and much more.

Mix it up

For those looking to shake things up and offer something new and exciting to your customers, then Westco’s Mochi Donut mix from BakeMark is a perfect solution. Westco’s Mochi Donut mix is a specially formulated blend of high-quality ingredients. These include rice flour, sugar, and tapioca starch. This allows you to create soft, chewy, and utterly delicious mochi donuts right in your own bakery. These donuts are not only tasty, but they are also a healthier alternative to traditional donuts. Mochi donuts are a unique and exciting addition to any bakery’s menu, and with Mochi Donut mix, you can easily offer them to your customers.

Using Westco’s mix is easy, making it a great choice for busy bakeries. For this mix, simply add water, eggs, canola oil and vegetable shortening. You will have a batch of delicious mochi donuts ready to be fried in just a few minutes. You can easily customize the recipe to your liking by adding different flavors or spices. Don’t forget BakeMark’s line of dipping icings and toppings. Make sure that your bakery case pops with the colors from the company’s wide range or Sprinkelina sprinkles and blends.

In addition, BakeMark focuses on Hispanic bakery solutions. Whether you’re a fan of tortillas or conchas, you’ll find a wide range of Hispanic mixes with the Trigal Dorado line, which delivers authentic Hispanic flavors. The easy-to-use products cut the labor cost and give you time to focus on the finishing of the products. The products combine authenticity, consistency, and flavor.

Further, BakeMark offers another innovative bakery mix – the Mauisada™ Mix, under its Westco® flagship brand. This bakery mix enables bakery operators to create the traditional Hawaiian sweet treat and other varieties, with only the addition of water and yeast.

Transport your customers to a tropical paradise with exotic flavors that embody the essence of summer. From guava to pineapple, mango to passion fruit, the options are endless. These flavors can be incorporated into cakes, muffins, and even breads to add a touch of paradise to your offerings. Examples include Malibu Sunset Cupcakes that utilize Westco’s Pineapple Fruit-O, or create mouthwatering Pineapple Lemon Donuts, a refreshing pineapple macaroon, or a luscious mango mousse. Don’t forget to garnish your creations with toasted coconut flakes or tropical fruit slices to enhance the visual appeal.

Bolstering capacity

On the production side, Puratos plans to open its first dedicated bakery glaze plant in the United States by 2025, acting as a regional hub for customers while strengthening the company’s operational capabilities. The company said the plant will be built within its main US campus in Pennsauken, NJ, adding a local presence to its already extensive network of manufacturing sites that includes Mexico, Belgium and Italy.

According to Puratos, the bakery glaze plant will allow the company to continue making its Sunset Glaze product, a plant-based and allergen-free egg wash alternative known for its shine, color and “easy cleaning.” The facility will have a manufacturing line that can handle 10-liter and 20-liter bag-in-box options and large-scale industrial packaging amongst other needs. Puratos also said the facility will be built with sustainability in mind as it will feature LED lighting, on-site electric vehicle charging and a 100% solar roof.

The company’s Northeast distribution center, which previously was located on its US campus, will move to a newly purchased 194,000-square-foot building that is located nearby at 9130 Griffith Morgan Lane in Pennsauken, thus expanding the Puratos’ East Coast base of operations, the company noted.

“We’re excited about the opportunities this expansion brings,” said Andrew Brimacombe, president of Puratos USA. “As demand for glazed items continues to grow, the investment will further strengthen our ability to support customers across the US with new levels of bakery innovation.”

Puratos is also expanding its West Coast operations with two key investments in the Los Angeles region: a new manufacturing line at its Rancho Dominguez facility and a planned relocation to a new warehouse and distribution facility in Gardena.

According to Puratos, the new manufacturing line in Rancho Dominguez will double capacity for the company’s full line of dry products, including bakery and sweet goods mixes and improvers. The line will feature cutting-edge technology with improved automation and enhanced design that incorporates ergonomics and material flow, Puratos said. In addition to the manufacturing line, Puratos said it has made other upgrades to the plant.

Online training

Education and training play pivotal roles in the success of the bakery department, and Rich Products is looking to give back to the baking industry with the launch of a new online training and education platform known as Rich’s Academy. Announced earlier this year and free to users, the platform helps bakery professionals at all stages of their career build their skills, tap into industry trends and insights, and take courses that qualify for continuing education credits or units from accrediting organizations. Rich’s Academy begins with a spotlight on four key industry segments.

“Rich’s Academy was an idea born during the pandemic,” said Jamie McKeon, senior vice president, demand creation, Rich Products. “As a trusted partner, we needed to create a digital way to continue to deliver innovative solutions and enhanced value to our customers. What resulted is a fantastic resource that will provide ongoing training, skilled instruction and menu innovation to in-store bakery foodservice professionals everywhere, especially as the industry grows and evolves.”  

Rich’s Bakery Academy helps professionals master cake decorating skills alongside Rich’s own talented bakery technicians, among other skills, for free. Programs range from “Cake Icing Basics,” to “Baking 101,” “Flower Designs,” and “Time Saving & Production Tips” for cake decorating. Training is customized to the level of the online learner, for example breaking down cake decorating borders instruction from beginner to intermediate and advanced.

Professionals can also stay up to date and on-trend with current standards and expand their culinary skills and meet continuing education credit requirements at their convenience with accredited courses and training materials. Examples include “Breads Around the World” and “Smart Seasoning: Salt,” accredited by the American Culinary Federation.

Professionals will also have access to industry-leading research and insight, benefiting from Rich’s world-class research department and the direct input of its bakery and culinary teams.