Cereal Chem 55:744 - 753.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Scanning Electron Microscopy Study of Spaghetti Processing.

R. R. Matsuo, J. E. Dexter, and B. L. Dronzek. Copyright 1978 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Structural changes in pasta dough during spaghetti processing in a laboratory-scale continuous process press were studied by scanning electron microscopy. When water is added in the preliminary mixing stage before dough formation, the tight compact structure characteristic of semolina begins to change to a more open structure. Concomitant with dough formation in the extrusion auger, a jagged, discontinuous protein matrix becomes predominant. Starch granules definitely align along the direction of flow by the time the dough reaches the end of the extrusion auger. The protein matrix becomes more ordered as processing continues, but does not appear to achieve a continuous network of protein sheets and fibrils, suggesting that full gluten development does not occur. Further evidence for lack of gluten development at pasta dough absorptions was gained by microscopic examination of semolina-water farinograph doughs. When mixed at breadmaking absorption (60%), the protein was observed to form a continuous fibrillar structure that was not in evidence when mixed at pasta absorption (27%).