Assessment of proofing of bread dough in the microwave oven

 The effects of different proofing times in the microwave oven on the quality of microwave baked breads were investigated. The proofing height of the dough, specific volume and the firmness of the breads were found to be dependent on proofing time. When emulsifiers were added, the optimum proofing condition in the microwave oven was found to be 6 minutes at 10% power. The effects of different emulsifiers on the properties of the dough and, the volume and the firmness of the microwave-baked breads were compared. DATEM, Lecimulthin M-45 and Purawave were the three emulsifiers used. Purawave was found to be the most effective emulsifier on bread quality. Received: 5 July 2000 / Revised version: 6 September 2000