Effect of straight dough X pre-fermented dough method on composite wheat breads characteristics

Abstract

Bread fermentation is one of the most important steps in breadmaking. In straight dough method fermentation stage is realized after dough mixing; while in pre-fermented method, part of ingredients is mixed and rested for some hours in order to pre-ferment. This second method is well known to produce breads with improved properties, however no studies related to the production of composite bread using pre-fermented dough method can be found in the literature. Therefore, the objective of this study was to verify the effect of pre-fermented dough process method on a composite bread properties. Control breads (wheat bread) and green-banana-wheat bread were produced by straight and pre-fermented dough method. Breads were evaluated in relation to local water content, water loss, color parameters, specific volume, crumb porosity and texture profile analyses. Pre-fermented breads presented significantly higher specific volume in relation to straight breads. Similarly, pre-fermented method give breads with lower values of water loss, and lower levels of darkening. All of this could contributed to the better crumb texture properties of pre-fermented breads in relation to straight dough method. Therefore, it could be concluded that pre-fermentation dough method improved the technological properties of composite bread, representing an important strategy to be more explored.