Assessing Acerola Powder as Substitute for Ascorbic Acid as a Bread Improver.

Bread is one of the most widely consumed products in the world. The use of oxidants is common in bread production, but consumers are demanding products with less additives. Acerola is the fruit with the highest ascorbic acid content and, once dried, it can be used as an oxidant in baking. The use of acerola powder in bread making and its effect on bread quality is studied in this article and compared with the addition of ascorbic acid. For this purpose, flour properties and dough behaviour were analysed with a farinograph and an alveograph. Breads were elaborated with white wheat flour and wholemeal flour; specific volume, loaf height, weight loss, texture, colour, and cell structure were analysed. Acerola powder had similar effects to ascorbic acid: it increased the alveographic strength and the tenacity of the doughs without reducing extensibility; it incremented dough development time (DDT) and dough softening; it increased the specific volume of white wheat breads, and it reduced the hardness of white and wholemeal breads, without significant changes in crust or crumb colour. Therefore, acerola powder can be a natural alternative to the use of ascorbic acid as an improver in bread making.

Effect of sorghum flour properties on gluten-free sponge cake.

As the demand for gluten-free products increases, the use of sorghum flour becomes a good alternative. Sponge cakes are consumed worldwide and suitable for formulations that could replace wheat flour. One of the most influential parameters on sponge cake quality is the flour particle size. In this study, we obtained and characterized different flours by milling white and brown sorghum grains and evaluated the influence of flour characteristics on batter properties and gluten-free sponge cake quality. Flours were produced by pearling, milling and sifting; and were characterized for flour composition, particle size distribution, damaged starch and water absorption. The structure, density, and viscosity of the batters; and specific volume and crumb properties of the sponge cake were evaluated. The results showed that flour composition, and properties were modified by the milling processes. Pasting viscosity increased as the particle size of the flours was reduced. Brown or white sorghum flour with smaller particle size produced high density and viscosity batters with small and homogeneous air bubbles distribution. Independently of the sorghum variety used, smaller particle size flour leads to sponge cakes of high volume and low firmness. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13197-021-05150-0.

Psyllium: a useful functional ingredient in food systems.

Psyllium gum is a hydrocolloid found in the husk of seeds from Plantago ovata. Psyllium husk has been used in traditional medicine in areas of India and China. Its consumption has been shown to provide nutritional benefits, such as the capacity to reduce the glycaemic index, to minimize the risk of cardiovascular diseases, to decrease cholesterol and constipation problems and others. Thus, interest in the incorporation of psyllium in food products is twofold. First, it can be a natural alternative to the use of other gums and hydrocolloids considered additives. Second, it can be used to improve the nutritional properties of products in which it is incorporated. However, for this purpose, it is necessary to add great quantities of psyllium. This review analyses the potential use of psyllium in distinct food products, considering its advantages and inconveniences as well as possible solutions for undesired effects. Among the analyzed products there are bakery products and, in particular, gluten-free breads where psyllium has been used as a gluten substitute. The incorporation of psyllium into dairy products such as yogurts and those derived from fruits, among others, is also addressed.

Waste Bread as Main Ingredient for Cookie Elaboration.

Food waste is a current global problem. The aim of this work was to investigate the possibility of reintroducing bread discarded by retailers in the preparation of sugar-snap cookies. Bread flours were obtained from stale breads (white and whole wheat) milled with 200, 500 and 1000 µm sieves. Cookies were elaborated using 100% bread flours and combinations of 50% of bread flour and wheat flour. The rheology of the doughs, the dimensions of the cookies, their texture and colour were evaluated. Bread flour doughs presented higher G' (elastic modulus), G" (viscous modulus) values than the control, especially with increased particle size. Bread flour cookies had a smaller diameter and a harder texture than the control, but in the case of whole bread flours of larger particle sizes, those differences were reduced. Cookies made with bread flour had a darker colour and higher a* values. The 50% mixtures did not present significant differences with respect to the control in terms of dough rheology, hardness, or lightness. Although the spreading factor was reduced, it was more similar to the control than to 100% bread flour cookies. Wasted bread flour can thus be used to replace wheat flour in cookie formulations.

Chickpea and Chestnut Flours as Non-Gluten Alternatives in Cookies.

This study proposes the use of a mix composed of chickpea flour and chestnut flour in cookies, aiming to improve their acceptability. Cookie properties and nutritional value were also analysed. The gluten-free cookies were made by using different mixes of chickpea and chestnut flours (0:100, 25:75, 50:50, 75:25, 100:0). Dough rheology and cookie dimensions, texture, external colour and acceptability were evaluated. The presence of the chestnut flour increased the values of G' and G", but reduced the loss factor (tan δ) when compared with the doughs made with chickpea flour. Chestnut flour also decreased the diameter and the spread ratio of the cookies, while increasing the hardness and darkening of the cookies. Furthermore, adding chestnut to the flour mixture increased the nutritional quality of the cookies by adding unsaturated fatty acids and fibre. The use of reduced percentages of chestnut flour (25%) resulted in masking the off-flavour of the chickpea flour, which improved the cookie's acceptability without significantly changing the dough rheology, cookie dimensions, hardness, or lightness.

Assessing the influence of psyllium as a fat substitute in wheat and gluten-free cookies.

Psyllium is a natural fibre with high water absorption capacity and proved nutritional advantages. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential of psyllium as a fat replacer in sugar-snap cookies. Elaborations were made with wheat flour or maize flour by maintaining the original recipe or replacing the fat by a paste made with different proportion of psyllium and water. Cookies dough rheology and final cookies properties were evaluated. An acceptability test was also carried out. The replacement of fat decreased the values of G', G″ and G*, but increased tg delta to a greater extent in cookies with gluten. Cookies diameter and spread factor decreased and increased both cookies hardness and moisture content. Fat replacement increase L* value of cookies. Variation of the water content did not influence in the rheology of the dough and in the characteristics of gluten-free cookies, but wheat cookies had smaller spread ratio and decreasing hardness for increasing amount of water. Final cookies had low acceptability and this result was more evident in gluten-free cookies. Considering this result, it is difficult to use psyllium as a total fat substitute in this type of product.

Effect of Hydration on Gluten-Free Breads Made with Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose in Comparison with Psyllium and Xanthan Gum.

The use of hydrocolloids in gluten-free breads is a strategy to improve their quality and obtain products with acceptable structural and textural properties. Hydration level (HL) optimization is important to maximize the hydrocolloids effects on dough and bread quality. This study evaluated the optimum hydration level (OHL) for gluten-free breads prepared with different starch sources (rice flour or maize starch) and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) in comparison with psyllium husk fibre and xanthan gum. Breads with the same final volume and the corrected hydration (CH) were evaluated. The hydration is a key factor that influences the final characteristics of gluten-free breads. Breads made with HPMC had greater dependence on the HL, especially for preparations with maize starch. Psyllium had similar behaviour to xanthan with respect to specific volume and weight loss. Breads manufactured with maize starch and HPMC had low hardness due to their great specific volume. However, in breads made with rice flour, the combined decreased hydration and similar specific volume generated a harder bread with HPMC than the use of psyllium or xanthan. Breads made with HPMC presented higher specific volume than the other hydrocolloids, however combinations among these hydrocolloids could be evaluated to improve gluten-free breads quality.

Influence of Flour Particle Size Distribution on the Quality of Maize Gluten-Free Cookies.

The objective of the present study was to analyse the influence of particle size distribution of maize flour in the formulation of gluten-free cookies. Different cookie formulations were made with three distinct maize flour fractions obtained by sieving (less than 80 µm; between 80 and 180 µm; greater than 180 µm). Cookies dimension, texture and colour were evaluated. Flour hydration properties and cookie dough rheology were also measured. Overall, an increase in maize flour particle size decreases the values of water holding capacity (WHC), swelling volume and G' (elastic modulus) for the doughs. An increase in average particle size also increases diameter and spread factor of the cookies but decreases their hardness. A higher percentage of thick particles is more effective to reduce cookie hardness, but a certain percentage of thinner particles is necessary to give cohesion to the dough and to allow formation of the cookies without breaking. Cookies with a larger diameter also presented a darker colour after baking.

Gluten-Free Breads: The Gap Between Research and Commercial Reality.

The market for gluten-free products is steadily growing and gluten-free bread (GFB) keeps on being one of the most challenging products to develop. Although numerous research studies have worked on improving the manufacture of GFBs, some have adopted approaches far from commercial reality. This review analyzes the ingredient list and nutrition facts of 228 commercially available GFBs produced by different brands around the world. The results from studying the ingredient list of breads revealed that commercial breads do not tend to use a single starchy source or gluten replacer, but a combination of several ingredients to optimize bread quality. Maize, tuber starches, and rice flour were the main starchy sources. Regarding hydrocolloids, the most often included ingredients were hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, xanthan and guar gum, and psyllium. Proteins and sugars were added, respectively, in 81% and 87% of the commercial breads analyzed. Furthermore, it was found that vegetable oils were preferred over fats. A long list of ingredients was observed in commercial GFBs, with the presence of a wide range of additives, including acidifiers, emulsifiers, leavening agents, preservatives, and aromas or flavorings. Meanwhile, nutrition facts showed a lower protein and higher fat content for GFBs compared to a gluten-containing counterpart, with small differences for salt and sugar. This research expands the current knowledge on GFB manufacturing, giving a panoramic outlook on the current situation in the GFB market, and helping both scientists and gluten-free companies unify/identify common trends.