Wheat proteins: structure and functionality in milling and breadmaking

Abstract

Wheat flour proteins have long been known to be crucial in relation to breadmaking quality, both protein quantity and quality being important.1--3 The major wheat endosperm storage proteins, the gluten proteins, comprising two prolamin groups, gliadin and glutenin, have been studied intensively because they confer the viscoelasticity on doughs considered essential for breadmaking quality. Qualitative differences in their composition and properties account for much of the variation in breadmaking quality between wheat cultivars. Glutenin, comprising polymers with subunits linked by disulphide bonds, is particularly important.