GOOD NatureRelax®, developed by GoodMills Innovation (Hamburg, Germany), is a clean-label baking ingredient that addresses one of the most common disruptors in bakery production: excessive wheat dough elasticity.
Anyone working with wheat dough on a daily basis knows the scenario: a dough piece immediately shrinking back after being rolled out or stretched. In most cases, the cause is overly elastic dough, which can be made worse by factors such as flour quality, the addition of vital gluten, oxidizing agents or oxidative enzymes, intensive kneading, or firm and cold doughs with short resting times. The consequences are familiar across bakeries and industrial lines alike: doughs are harder to shape, piece weights fluctuate, processes are frequently disrupted and there is increased waste.
Natural support for dough relaxation
GOOD NatureRelax® addresses this challenge at source. Derived from 100 per cent stabilised, finely ground wheat germ and additive-free, the ingredient supports relaxed dough handling and process stabilisation, particularly on mechanical and industrial production lines.
The name reflects this functionality: ‘Nature’ represents the natural character of the product, while ‘Relax’ describes its dough-relaxing effect. It works by combining two components that occur naturally in wheat germ and work synergistically: glutathione, a tripeptide with antioxidant properties that breaks down disulfide bonds in the gluten network and is used up during this reaction, and protease, an enzyme that breaks down the protein chains of gluten and softens the dough without being consumed itself. Together, the two active substances form an effective duo for gentle dough softening.
For this interaction to work reliably, raw material selection is essential: wheat germ quality and regional variation are monitored across all 24 mill sites of the GoodMills Group. The most suitable native germ is then gently stabilised and further micronised, resulting in doughs that are more plastic and noticeably smoother, thus passing more easily through the production line. Each batch is tested against defined specifications, helping to ensure consistent functionality and reliable performance for industrial users working to tight tolerances.
Supporting efficient bakery production
GOOD NatureRelax® is designed for wheat doughs and applied at 0.1-1 per cent on top of flour-based products, depending on the application. Typical uses include pretzels, laminated doughs such as croissants, twisted wheat products, baguettes, pizza and sheet cakes. As the ingredient has a dough-softening effect, kneading time can typically be reduced by around 10 to 15%, allowing bakeries to make full use of its potential.
With GOOD NatureRelax®, GoodMills Innovation offers both bakers and large-scale bakeries a natural, clean-label solution that supports easier everyday production.
