Effects of wheat and rye bread structure on mastication process and bolus properties

Chemical composition, baking process and structure of breads influence their degradation in digestion leading to different postprandial responses. Rye bread has a very different structure as compared to wheat bread, and rye breads are known to induce lower postprandial insulin responses than wheat bread. The aim of this study was to find out potential differences in mastication and initial starch hydrolysis rate of rye and wheat breads. Three rye breads (wholemeal rye, endosperm rye and endosperm rye with gluten) and wheat bread were masticated by fifteen participants and the process was monitored using electromyography. The particle size distribution and initial in vitro starch hydrolysis of the bread boluses were analysed. Specific volume correlated negatively and closed porosity of breads correlated positively with work required for mastication. When compared to wheat bread, wholemeal rye bread required more work for mastication process (p = 0.004). Rye breads were degraded to smaller particles than wheat bread during mastication. There was a trend (p = 0.098) towards slower in vitro starch hydrolysis rate in rye bread boluses than in wheat bread boluses. The results indicate that the digestion process of rye breads differs from that of wheat bread already in the early phase of digestion. This may be one reason behind the unique postprandial responses reported for rye breads.     

Gluten-Free Bread Making Trials from Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Flour and Sensory Evaluation of the Final Product

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effectiveness of the use of cassava flour in bread making, and the sensory acceptability of the final product. Different baking trials were carried out by using egg white and extra-virgin olive oil, in consideration of their high nutritional value with respect to other food additives (i.e., hydrocolloids). Significant (p < 0.05) improvements of loaf specific volume (from 2.24 to 3.93 mL/g) and crumb firmness (from 9.14 to 4.67 N) were achieved by contemporarily including egg white and extra-virgin olive oil in the formulation. Cassava breads containing both these ingredients obtained the best scores from panelists for all the test breads examined and resulted attractive as the wheat bread prepared as reference.     

Par-baked Bread Technology: Formulation and Process Studies to Improve Quality

Extending the shelf-life of bakery products has been an important requirement resulting from the mechanization of this industry and the need to increase the distance for the distribution of final products, caused by the increase in production and consumer demand. Technologies based on the interruption of the breadmaking process represent an alternative to overcome product staling and microbiological deterioration. The production of par-baked breads is one of these technologies. It consists of baking the bread in two stages, and due to the possibility of retarding the second stage, it can be said that the bread can always be offered fresh to the consumer. The technology inserts logistics as part of the production process and creates the “hot point” concept, these being the locations where the bread is finalized, such as in the consumers’ homes or sales locations. In this work, a review of the papers published on this subject was carried out, and aspects related to both the formulation and the process were considered. This technology still faces a few challenges, such as solving bread quality problems that appear due to process modifications, and these will also be considered. The market for these breads has grown rapidly and the bakery industry searches innovations related to par-baked bread technology.     

Impact of fibers on physical characteristics of fresh and staled bake off bread

The technological functionality of different fibers (high methylated ester pectin, resistant starch, insoluble-soluble fiber blend) was tested in partially baked breads stored either under sub-zero or low temperatures, in order to assess their possible role as breadmaking ingredients in bake off technologies (BOT). Fiber-containing formulations affected bread specific volume and crumb hardness, and those characteristics were also dependent on both the breadmaking process (conventional or BOT) and the storage conditions of the par-baked bread (low or sub-zero temperatures). The inclusion of resistant starch (RS) and fiber blend in the bread formulation induced a reduction in the specific volume of the bread and an increase of hardness. Crumb image analysis indicated that breadmaking process affected significantly the number of alveoli. The storage of par-baked breads at low temperatures accelerates crumb hardening during staling, and that effect was greatly dependent on the duration of the storage, being that effect magnified in the case of breads containing fiber blend. Therefore, formulations should be carefully checked with the specific breadmaking process to be followed. Special attention should be paid to the storage conditions of the partially baked bread, since they significantly affect the technological quality of fresh breads and their behaviour during staling.     

Physicochemical properties of bread dough and finished bread with added pectin fiber and phenolic antioxidants

Comparative studies were conducted in this paper to investigate the effects of added dietary fiber (DF) and/or phenolic antioxidants on the properties of bread dough and finished bread. Breads were developed in the absence (control bread), or presence of apple pectin and/or fruit phenolic extracts (treated breads), and subjected to quality evaluation (attributes including color, weight, and volume) and characterization of chemical and rheological properties. Chemical analyses revealed that breads with added phenolic extracts had greater antioxidant activity and higher extractable phenolic content, than control bread and the treated breads with added apple pectin(s). The measured antioxidant activity was mainly derived from the phenolics present in bread. Storage modulus G' (elasticity) and loss modulus G″ (viscocity) of the treated bread dough with added pectin(s) only were higher than those of control dough. The G' or G″ of the treated breads incorporated with a combination of a pectin and fruit phenolic extract depended on the type of phenolic extract (that is, apple and blackcurrant extracts behaved differently from kiwifruit extract). The G' and G″ at the final baking step were higher than those of other stages, indicating an increase in cross-linking among polymeric molecules and bread particles of high molecular weight. We conclude that the added pectin and/or phenolic extract had influenced bread dough cross-linking microstructure and bread properties through being involved in the interactions with bread components such as wheat proteins during dough development and bread baking. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Dietary fibers and phytochemicals (including phenolic antioxidants) have long been recognized as the active nutrients responsible for the health benefits of fruit and vegetables to humans. Interest in incorporating bioactive ingredients such as dietary fiber and phenolic antioxidants into popular foods like bread has grown rapidly, due to the increased consumer health awareness. The added bioactive ingredients may or may not promote the development of bread dough. This paper reports the findings associated with the properties of the functional breads enhanced with apple pectin and apple, blackcurrant, and kiwifruit phenolic extracts. Results of this paper indicate that the success of the development of such functional breads is ultimately determined by the interactions among added bioactive ingredients and other bread components.     

Effect of Process Modifications in Two Cycles of Dough Mixing on Physical Properties of Wheat Bread Baked from Weak Flour

Common availability of dough improvers permits the production of bread of good quality, but only modifications of the process may be used for the production of natural products. Dough from weak flour, after application of certain treatments, displays poorer baking properties; therefore, in our study, it is proposed to apply slow-speed mixing in two cycles. In the literature, there is a lack of comparisons of results of baking with the straight dough method (one-cycle mixing) with modified methods including the application of two equal cycles of dough mixing and two “incomplete” cycles, the first of which lasts twice as long as the second one [partial two-cycle mixing (PTCM)]. This study involved the determination of the quality properties of bread (loaf volume, specific weight, crust thickness, crumb whiteness, crumb hardness index, and crumb heterogeneity index) under the effect of process modifications, analyzing the effect of dough mixing time and resting time between the mixing cycles. The study included also regression equations describing the physical properties of bread. Based on the tests performed, it was noted that in the case of flour characterized by poor baking quality, the process effectiveness can be enhanced through the application of two incomplete mixing cycles (PTCM), with dough resting time in the range of 10–20 min. This treatment resulted breads with significantly greater loaf volume, lower specific weight, lower whiteness index, and hardness compared to breads baked using the straight dough method. It is not recommended to use two equal duration cycles of dough mixing.     

Baking properties and microstructure of pseudocereal flours in gluten-free bread formulations

In the present study, the baking properties of the pseudocereals amaranth, quinoa and buckwheat as potential healthy and high-quality ingredients in gluten-free breads were investigated. Scanning electron micrographs were taken of each of the flours. The pasting properties of these flours were assessed using a rapid visco analyser. Standard baking tests and texture profile analysis were performed on the gluten-free control and pseudocereal-containing gluten-free breads. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) images were also obtained from the baked breads and digital image analysis was conducted on the bread slices. Bread volumes were found to significantly increase for the buckwheat and quinoa breads in comparison with the control. In addition, the pseudocereal-containing breads were characterised by a significantly softer crumb texture effect that was attributed to the presence of natural emulsifiers in the pseudocereal flours and confirmed by the confocal images. No significant differences were obtained in the acceptability of the pseudocereal-containing gluten-free breads in comparison with the control.     

Influence of inulin on bread: Kinetics and physico-chemical indicators of the formation of volatile compounds during baking

The influence of inulin on the formation and release of white bread volatiles was studied during baking, using an innovative on-line baking extraction device. Kinetic studies were performed to follow the development of crust physical properties and the formation of volatiles responsible for the flavour of breads having different amounts of inulin. It was demonstrated that inulin accelerated the formation of the bread crust and the Maillard reaction. It led to breads with an overall quality similar to that of non-enriched breads, but baked for a shorter time. Correlations between some crust properties and the amount of Maillard volatiles were determined. They showed that crust water activity, moisture and clearness could be good indicators of the Maillard reaction during the baking of bread.     

Understanding gluten‐free dough for reaching breads with physical quality and nutritional balance

In the last decade the development of gluten‐free foodstuffs has attracted great attention as a result of better diagnoses of coeliac disease and a greater knowledge of the relationship between gluten‐free products and health. The increasing interest has prompted extensive research into the development of gluten‐free foodstuffs that resemble gluten‐containing foods. This review aims to provide some insights on dough functionality and process conditions regarding bread quality and to point out recent research dealing with the nutritional composition of those products. Gluten‐free dough results from the combination of different ingredients, additives, and the processing aids required for building up network structures responsible for bread quality. Some relationships between dough rheology and bread characteristics were established to identify possible predictor parameters. Regarding bread‐making processes, the impact of mixing, dough treatment and baking is stated. Nutritional quality is an important asset when developing gluten‐free breads, and different strategies for improving it are reviewed. Gluten‐free bread quality is dependent on ingredients and additives combination, but also processing can provide a way to improve bread quality. Nutritive value of the gluten‐free breads must be always in mind when setting up recipes, for obtaining nutritionally balanced bread with adequate glycaemic index. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry     

Physical properties of breads containing hydrocolloids stored at low temperature. I. Effect of chilling

Different bread types, some of them containing also hydrocolloid stabilizers, were cold stored for evaluating the final quality of breads after storage. Dough (DB), semi-baked products (SB) and full-baked (FB) breads were used. After storage their physical characteristics were measured, data grouping was performed using PCA analysis and correlations among the properties measured were found. Fresh samples presented some similarities to DB or SB breads, but FB breads had a completely different behaviour. Crust characteristics were found to be important for the quality characterization of breads, as crust textural characteristics; its colour and moisture content were correlated to other properties. Furthermore, crust viscoelastic characteristics gave an indication of bread staling. Porosity was the only physical property not correlated to other bread characteristics. Differences were noticed according to the bread type before storage and the hydrocolloid used, but the main differences were determined by the baking stage before storage. Furthermore, hydrocolloids addition could result in different final bread properties according to the baking stage before storage. The crumb of FB breads was relatively viscous despite of hydrocolloid addition. Hydrocolloids seem to be more effective as stabilizers in DB and SB breads.     

Comparative study of phytic acid content,in-vitro protein digestibility and amino acid composition of different types of flat breads

Phytic acid content of eight different types of leavened and unleavened flat breads was determined. It was highest in unleavened and non-fermented whole wheat chapati and lowest in the leavened and fermented white wheat flat bread roghni nan. The effect of baking conditions, bread composition and phytic acid content on in-vitro digestibility of protein was measured using a pepsin multienzyme pH stat technique. The amino acids released were separated by ultrafiltration. The rate of protein digestibility of flat bread and amino acid released depended upon the type of flour used, baking conditions, phytic acid content and other antiproteolytic constituents of breads. Leavening and fermentation of breads resulted in an increase of protein digestibility and availability of amino acids. Addition of soya flour increases the protein digestibility of breads whereas millet flour decreases it.     

Effect of quinoa,chia and millet addition on consumer acceptability of gluten-free bread

There is an increasing demand for gluten-free foods; however, standard gluten-free foods are deficient in nutrients. This study investigated the use of alternative grains (chia, millet and quinoa) in gluten-free breads to evaluate their sensory properties (fresh and following a partial bake method). A sensory trial (n = 98) asked participants to consider six fresh bread samples made from chia, millet and quinoa, using 9-point hedonic scales and check-all-that-apply. A second sensory trial (n = 89) was then completed using par-baked bread samples of the different formulations. The sensory properties and the acceptability of the bread were significantly affected by the chia and quinoa flour. The millet flour did not change the acceptability of the bread. Furthermore, the partial baking method (after 90 days of frozen storage) did not significantly affect the acceptability of the breads made with chia, millet and quinoa, but it did affect the acceptability of the control bread prepared with brown rice flour. Overall, millet flour could be incorporated into gluten-free breads made following a partial baking method without affecting consumer acceptability. Future studies should use a trained panel to evaluate how the breads differ based on the partial baking method.     

Compressed Yeast and Type I Gluten-Free Sourdough in Gluten-Free Breadmaking

The replacement of gluten in cereal-based goods still represents a significant technological challenge, and obtaining high-quality gluten-free (GF) breads brings about the search for ingredients and technologies able to improve the overall features of these products. Even if the use of sourdough has been extensively studied for the traditional baking, thanks to its positive effects on the product associated with the metabolic activities of sourdough-resident microorganisms; only in recent times, similar attempts have been made in GF baking. GF bread, in fact, is more generally produced by a straight-dough process, using compressed yeast as leavening agent. This research aimed to compare the properties of GF doughs and breads obtained using a Type I GF sourdough (GF-SD; in-lab developed), compressed yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae; CY), or their mixture (GF-SD + CY) during proofing. There are no studies, in fact, on Type I GF-SD with the stable association between the lactic acid bacterium Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis and the yeast Candida humilis. GF-SD doughs were comparable to CY doughs in terms of height development (adopting a longer fermentation step), and well-developed doughs were obtained in a short time when GF-SD was combined with CY. Despite the lower specific volume and the denser crumb, GF-SD breads were characterized by a more coherent texture, while CY breads were more prone to fracture during storage. Breads leavened with GF-SD + CY showed intermediate features. The promising results coming from the use of the in-lab developed GF-SD thus confirmed the positive effects of adopting the sourdough technology in GF breadmaking, too.     

Effect of Baking Procedure and Storage on the Pasting Properties and Staling of Part-Baked and Rebaked White Pan Bread Crumb

In this investigation, the white pan breads were part-baked for 10, 15, 20 minutes at 230°C with and without calcium propionate (0.2%), were stored at room temperature (20°C) for 3, 5, 7 days wrapped with two polyethylene bags. After storage, baking time of part-baked breads was completed to the baking time of control breads (25 minutes). Breads were subjected to softness analysis and pasting properties of bread crumb were determined using the Brabender Amylograph. Addition of Ca-propionate decreased softness value of crumb of bread rebaked after part-baked, while the peak, holding end and cooling end viscosities increased. The increase in initial baking time resulted in a decrease in the pasting temperature and softness value and an increase in the bump area and viscosity of the rebaked bread crumb. Bump area, water activity, softness value and peak, holding end and cooling end viscosities of crumb of the rebaked bread after part-baking decreased with longer (intermediate storage) time. Peak viscosity and water activity significantly correlated with softness of bread crumb rebaked following part-baking and storage at room temperature. Rebaking bread for 10 and 15 minutes after storage of 3 and 7 days at room temperature resulted in softer crumb than the control group.     

Effect of bioprocessing of wheat bran in wholemeal wheat breads on the colonic SCFA production in vitro and postprandial plasma concentrations in men

The health benefits of whole grain consumption can be partly attributed to the inclusion of the bran or outer-layers of the grain rich in dietary fibre. Fibre is fermented in the colon, leading to the production of beneficial metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids (SCFA). The effect of five different types of bread on the SCFA production was studied in an in vitro model of human colon. Additionally, the postprandial effects of two selected breads on the SCFA plasma concentrations were investigated in men. A higher in vitro production of butyrate was induced by wholemeal wheat bread with bioprocessed bran than by native bran. The increase in butyrate seemed to be in exchange for propionate, whilst the total SCFA production remained similar. However, differences between the two breads in the postprandial butyrate concentrations could not be detected in peripheral blood of men, probably due to an effective utilisation by colonocytes.     

Physico-chemical changes in breads from bake off technologies during storage

Quality of several bread specialties from frozen partially baked breads was assessed to define main quality features. Loss of crust freshness shortly after baking was also determined. Quality parameters that characterize bread crust and crumb were determined by instrumental methods in nine different (regarding to formulation and bake off duration) bread types obtained from frozen partially baked breads. Principal component analysis (PCA) allowed discriminating among bread specialties. Quality parameters that enable the differentiation of wheat bread types were crust mechanical properties together with specific volume, crumb hardness and structure. Crust flaking barely represented a problem in the studied types of bread. Crust mechanical properties were rapidly lost during the first 4 h after baking and the rate of the process was greatly dependent on the bread type. The force to promote crust fracture underwent increase up to 6 h after baking and those changes occurred in the Aw range of 0.50-0.74 or moisture content 9-15 g/100 g.     

Modification of gluten-free sorghum batter and bread using maize, potato, cassava or rice starch

Gluten-free sorghum bread was made from cassava, maize, potato or rice starch and sorghum in the ratios 10:90, 20:80, 30:70, 40:60 and 50:50. The other baking ingredients, on flour-weight-basis, were water (100%), sugar (6.7%), egg white powder (6%), fat (2%), salt (1.7%) and yeast (1.5%). Increasing starch content changed the batters’ consistencies from soft doughs to thin pourable batters. Increasing starch content decreased crumb firmness and chewiness, and increased cohesiveness, springiness and resilience of all breads. Cassava-sorghum and rice-sorghum breads had better crumb properties than maize-sorghum or potato-sorghum breads. Although the crumb properties of all breads declined (i.e. firmness and chewiness increased; cohesiveness, resilience and springiness decreased) on storage, the formulation containing 50% cassava starch retained the best overall texture.     

The impact of baking time and bread storage temperature on bread crumb properties

Two baking times (9 and 24 min) and storage temperatures (4 and 25 °C) were used to explore the impact of heat exposure during bread baking and subsequent storage on amylopectin retrogradation, water mobility, and bread crumb firming. Shorter baking resulted in less retrogradation, a less extended starch network and smaller changes in crumb firmness and elasticity. A lower storage temperature resulted in faster retrogradation, a more rigid starch network with more water inclusion and larger changes in crumb firmness and elasticity. Crumb to crust moisture migration was lower for breads baked shorter and stored at lower temperature, resulting in better plasticized biopolymer networks in crumb. Network stiffening, therefore, contributed less to crumb firmness. A negative relation was found between proton mobilities of water and biopolymers in the crumb gel network and crumb firmness. The slope of this linear function was indicative for the strength of the starch network.     

Value Added of Resistant Starch Maize-Based Matrices in Breadmaking: Nutritional and Functional Assessment

The ability of white (W) and yellow (Y) maize flour as basic ingredients to make nutritious and healthy breads meeting functional and sensory standards is investigated. Resistant starch (R) and common wheat flour (WF) were incorporated into formulations as single and associated extra ingredients, and dough machinability, bread nutritional and functional profiles, starch hydrolysis kinetics and keeping behaviour were assessed in blended maize matrices and compared with the maize and wheat flour counterparts. Simultaneous replacement of maize flour samples by R and WF at 40 % significantly modified textural profile, crumb grain features and firming kinetics, and free polyphenol pattern of breads thereof compared to the respective Y or W maize counterparts. Bigger specific volume (+28 % Y-R-WF, +36 % W-R-WF), softer crumb bread (?64 % Y-R-WF, W-R-WF), more aerated structure and homogeneous crumb grain, and lower and slower staling kinetics are observed in composite Y and W maize-based breads, respectively. Nutritional information on maize-based blended breads showed most appealing nutritional quality than WF breads, in terms of lower digestible starch (up to ?21 % in Y-R-WF, W-R-WF, WR) and rapidly digestible starch (up to ?37 % in W-R-WF), higher slowly digestible starch (up to three times in WR) and resistant starch contents (from five to six times in Y-R-WF, W-R-WF, W-R, Y-R) of medium-high sensorially rated bread matrices. All single and blended maize-based breads can be labelled as high-fibre breads (6 g dietary fibre (DF)/100 g food). According to health-related benefits and prebiotic dosage of resistant starch a daily intake of 100 g of single Y-R, W-R, W-R-WF and W-R-WF provides enough resistant starch to positively affect postprandial glucose and insulin levels, while 170 g covers the amount necessary to enhance health.     

Wheat bran particle size effects on bread baking performance and quality

Commercial hard red spring, hard red winter, soft white and durum wheat brans were used to evaluate the particle size effect of wheat bran on bread baking performance and bread sensory quality. Three different particle size bran samples were obtained from each bran by grinding, not by sifting, the bran samples. The bran samples were similar in chemical composition, but different in particle sizes. Results of baking experiments showed that breads containing fine bran had lower specific loaf volume and darker crumb colour than breads containing coarse or medium size bran. Sensory test panellists found that fine bran contributed smoother crust appearance and less gritty mouthfeel than the coarse bran. The sensory panel also indicated that breads containing soft white wheat bran had significantly better flavour and mouthfeel than breads containing hard red spring wheat bran. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry