Improving Baking Quality of Weak Gluten Semolina Using Ovine Whey Powder

Abstract

The effect of the addition of ovine whey powder at 5%, 10%, and 15% on bread quality was studied. Two different types of semolina were used, one being a commercial blend with strong and tenacious gluten (48T) and the other coming from one single cultivar, characterized for having weak and sticky gluten (4T). Two different types of typical Mediterranean bread were produced, pan bread and flat bread, and their quality characteristics were measured, together with their shelf life. The volume of 4T pan bread was improved by the addition of 5% ovine whey powder. In the case of 48T, the volume of bread was negatively affected by the addition of ovine whey powder. Moreover, flat bread made with 4T was more extensible after the addition of ovine whey powder and showed lower starch retrogradation over time than the same type of bread made with 48T. Among the different pan bread types, consumers preferred 4T with 5% of substitution, which also showed an improved cell size distribution in the crumb.