JWSS - Journal of Water and Soil Science

The quality of Iranian breads has intensively decreased during recent years due to socio-economic factors and poor quality of flour. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of mono- and diglycerides and ascorbic acid as improvers on Iranian bread (Taftoon) quality. Three wheat type flours (Ghods, Mahdavi and Roshan wheat varieties produced in Isfahan region) were used. The effects of ascorbic acid at three levels (20, 40 and 60 ppm flour basis) and esters of mono- and diglycerides at three levels (0.5, 1.0 and 1.5 percent) on the dough baking and bread quality were measured. The Taftoon bread was baked in a semi-traditional oven.

 Loaves of bread were scored after baking and also on the first and second days of storage at room temperature. Analysis of variances indicated that ascorbic acid and mono- and diglycerides have significant effects on the improvement of the rheological properties of dough. However, ascorbic acid had higher effects than mono- and diglycerides. The results of the tests showed that dough resistance to mixing and tensile stress increased with addition of the improvers. Both improvers used in this experiment have an anti-stabling effect on bread. However, the ascorbic acid effect is much less than that of mono- and diglyceride. The low concentration of 0.5 percent of mono- and diglyceride and 60 ppm of ascorbic acid with flours of moderate protein contents (10-11%) resulted in good quality Taftoon bread with good organoleptic and tearing qualities after two days.