Breadmaking potential and proteolytic activity of wheat varieties from two production years with different climate conditions

Abstract

The wheat flour represents a complex system whose quality is influenced by several factors such as genotype, growing conditions and the complex interaction of genetic and environmental factors. In recent years, wheat quality fluctuation has become a major issue for millers and bakers. Requirements of bakery industry for providing wheat flour of uniform quality impose the need for further investigation in direction of monitoring/improving wheat flour quality. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate wheat varieties, grown in different locations, by breadmaking potential and proteolytic activity in dependence of climate conditions. Wheat flour of four wheat varieties (Pobeda, Zvezdana, Gordana and Apache), from seven locations in Serbia characterized by different climatic conditions in two production years, were used in this study. The analyses included a determination of proteolytic activity and the rheological properties of dough. Rheological properties of wheat flour dough were determined by Gluten index and Brabender equipment (Farinograph, Extensograph and Amylograph). The studies ended with a trial baking and estimation of textural properties of obtained bread. Large variability for all attributes evaluated was observed, with wider ranges in quality parameters across varieties than among growing locations. Wheat flour samples from 2012 production year were characterized by inferior quality parameters. Proteolytic activity and bread specific volume values for 2012 production year were significantly lower compared to 2011. These results indicate that level of proteolytic activity was under optimum for obtaining bread with higher specific volume.

Keywords

• wheat flour
• breadmaking properties
• proteolytic activity