Effect of Hydration on the Technological Properties of Andean Maize Native Whole-Grain Flour Dough and Bread

Abstract

Andean maize is produced in the Argentine Northwest and can be used in gluten-free bread formulations. Water has an important role in the technological properties of flour and consequently in gluten-free bread quality. Processing whole-grain flour is difficult but improves the final product’s nutritional profile. The work aimed to evaluate the effect of different levels of water (100, 110, and 120% based on flour weight) on the flow properties of dough, textural properties and cooking of bread. For the formulation of the mold bread, Andean maize (Capia and Bolita) whole-grain flour was used. The flow properties of dough, weight losses and textural properties in breads were determined. The flow tests showed a drop in the consistency index with increasing dough hydration. In contrast, the flow index increased with respect to its initial value in both varieties of maize. The weight loss after baking tended to increase significantly from 4.60 to 5.8% with hydration increasing in Capia maize bread. However, this trend was not observed in Bolita. The hardness, springiness, gumminess and chewiness determined varied significantly only in Bolita maize bread due to the effects of hydration. More consistent dough resulted in harder, more elastic, rubbery and chewier bread.

Keywords

• dough
• gluten-free
• Andean maize
• technological properties