Cereal Chem 68:60-66   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Preparation of Frozen French Bread Dough with Improved Stability.

O. Neyreneuf and J. B. Van Der Plaat. Copyright 1991 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

Optimizing the properties of French bread dough through prolonged frozen storage is difficult because the dough is prepared from a simple recipe to which few additives are permitted. We analyzed the parameters that directly influence the properties of such doughs. At the formulation stage, a specific compressed yeast with "reduced activity" was found to contribute greatly to dough stability. This benefit was largely lost when this yeast was converted to different instant-dry forms. An adequate protein content in the bread flour and a carefully formulated bread improver were shown to be important in optimizing the gas retention properties of frozen doughs. At the mixing stage, conditions that gave full dough development without inducing the start of gas production by the yeast improved dough stability. The addition of prefermented doughs was contraindicated, whereas delayed incorporation of the yeast and a relatively low dough temperature were shown to be advantageous. An outline production process incorporating the positive findings is presented.