Cereal Chem 67:311-317   |  VIEW ARTICLE

The Benefits of Basic Rheometry in Studying Dough Rheology.

D. Weipert. Copyright 1990 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Bread doughs are viscoelastic bodies with explicit, nonlinear shear thinning and thixotropic behaviors. The commonly used empirical and descriptive rheological methods determine the consistency and extensibility of doughs by applying large deformation forces in a single-point measurement. They are therefore not suitable to describe dough flow properties. Flow properties can be determined by basis rheological methods in both destructive and nondestructive applications. The use of a viscometer for steady state flow and rheometer for dynamic measurements of the strain and temperature-dependent dough characteristics are discussed. In addition, attention is drawn to the feasibility of using basic rheometry in the processing and product quality testing of flours. Finally a recording baking test is introduced and discussed as a promising method for monitoring not only how dough changes structurally during heating and cooling but also how those changes are influenced by various amounts and properties of relevant flour constitutents and flour additives.