Cereal Chem 63:352-357   |  VIEW ARTICLE
Viscometric Indexes of U.S. Wheats and Flours of Widely Different Protein Contents and Breadmaking Quality.

D. Weipert and Y. Pomeranz. Copyright 1986 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Whole grain meals and flours milled from six U.S. hard red winter wheat varieties or selections from five crop years were evaluated for breadmaking properties. The wheats and flours varied widely in protein contents and functional (breadmaking) qualities of the proteins. Evaluation of breadmaking potential was based on a straight-dough procedure to determine water absorption, mixing time, loaf volume, and crumb grain and texture. Indirect methods for determining quality included the sedimentation test and flow curve indexes determined by a rotation viscometric method. The flow curve indexes were correlated with functional breadmaking properties. High, significant correlations were obtained between loaf volume and the tear point of a meal flow curve (r=-0.923, curvilinear) and loaf volume and flow quotient of a meal flow curve (r=0.954). The rotation viscometric method is simple and rapid, requires small amounts of material (10 g), and can be performed on wheat meal or flour. Consequently, the method can be useful in screening large numbers of samples in plant breeding programs.