TOUR STOP #3: Mixing and Forming
Things Begin to Take Shape
Automatic scales that feed directly into the mixers weigh out major ingredients such as flour, liquid shortenings, sweeteners and water. Employees weigh minor ingredients individually on small scales and add them to the mixers by hand. There are a variety of mixers for all different kinds of dough. They can vary in size to hold from 200 to at least 2400 pounds of flour! After mixing, huge batches of cookie dough are emptied into troughs and fed into hoppers on the forming line. You'll have to speak up if you want to talk on this stop because the machinery can be pretty loud!
 It takes more than a really big bowl to mix up a batch of commercial cookies. Different kinds of cookies are made on different types of machines, each requiring a specific kind of dough. Mixing techniques vary depending upon the characteristics of the dough to be produced. After mixing, the dough is transformed into individual cookie pieces and then transferred to the oven conveyor belt. Before being baked, some cookies are further processed to enhance their flavor, color and/or appearance.
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