Cereal Chem 56:190 - 195.  |  VIEW ARTICLE
Effect of Starch on Pasta Dough Rheology and Spaghetti Cooking Quality.

J. E. Dexter and R. R. Matsuo. Copyright 1979 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

A collection of cereals comprising seven wheats, four barleys, three corns, rye, triticale, oats, and buckwheat served as a source of starches to investigate the effect of starch properties on pasta dough rheology and spaghetti cooking quality. The diverse nature of the starches was reflected by significant differences in their water absorption, amylose contents, microscopic structure, and amylograph pasting properties. A wide range in mixing properties was obtained for starch and gluten blends when absorption was held constant at 36% (14% moisture basis). These differences appeared to be mainly attributable to variations in starch water absorptions. Waxy maize and waxy barley starches were detrimental to spaghetti cooking quality, but high-amylose corn starch appeared to impart a slight improvement in cooked spaghetti firmness. Assessment of the cooking quality of starches with more normal amylose content suggested that other starch properties may supersede amylose content as a spaghetti cooking quality criterion once a threshold level of amylose is attained.