Brian Bambauer, marketing specialist for Hobart, points to two trends to watch in the baked goods category in 2018. One is the continuing popularity of artisan breads, which are now found everywhere from fine dining establishments all the way down to the neighborhood sandwich shop. The other trend he sees on the horizon is Neapolitan pizzas. “The Neapolitan pizza craze is hitting home in a whole lot of places, with little pizza shops and breweries popping up,” he says.

The Hobart HSL180 spiral mixer produces large or small jobs efficiently.Both of these items are attractive to operators because they can drive a higher menu price point. “Consumers are willing to pay higher prices to get the higher quality products,” Bambauer notes.

Artisan breads, Neapolitan pizzas and so many other baked goods can be made perfectly with the help of the Hobart HSL180 spiral mixer. The HSL180 “kneads the dough more gently, allowing more oxidation, which in turn makes for airy, lighter doughs,” he says. The high-torque motor in the HSL180 can produce up to 180 lbs. of even the most demanding dough. And to accelerate the mixing of the dough and ensure consistent distribution of ingredients, the bowl rotates both clockwise and counterclockwise. Additionally, “that allows you to make your batch sizes very small. You can go all the way down to an 18-lb. batch,” Bambauer says. A convenient dual 20-minute electronic timer lets you set the mixer for an automatic shift from first to second speed. To see the whole line of Hobart spiral mixers, go to www.hobartcorp.com.