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Time-Resolved Shear Viscosity of Wheat Flour Doughs—Effect of Mixing, Shear Rate, and Resting on the Viscosity of Doughs of Different Flours

¹Food Engineering, University of Lund, P.O. Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Present address: Nestlé R&D Center Bjuv AB, Box 520, S-267 25 Bjuv, Sweden. ²Food Engineering, University of Lund Sweden. ³Food Technology, University of Lund, Sweden.

The shear viscosity of three doughs of different wheat cultivars mixed to a farinograph level of 500 BU was measured at low shear rates as a function of the shear deformation using a cone-and-plate viscometer. Cyanoacrylate adhesive was used to attach the dough samples to the instrument surfaces to eliminate wall slip. Flours used were Dragon, Kosack, and a fodder wheat. A distinct difference was observed between the viscosities of the different flour cultivars. The strongest dough (Dragon), with the highest protein content and a good resistance in the farinograph, had the highest maximum viscosity. The doughs showed distinct strain hardening, more pronounced for the strong doughs. Maximum viscosity was obtained at a strain of ≈4, almost independent of the shear rate, but at higher values for stronger doughs (5 for Dragon, 4 for Kosack, and 3.5 for fodder wheat). The maximum was most pronounced for well-mixed doughs after resting. The viscosity and its variation with strain may be used as a measure of quality; a higher viscosity and a maximum occurring at high strains indicating good quality (related to the farinogram). The viscosity gradually decreased at higher strains. Apparent viscosity increases with strain and reaches a maximum value at a common strain, which suggests the presence of entangled molecules. The increase of maximum viscosity with increase in mixing also supports this theory. Resting the dough increases the maximum viscosity, which suggests the formation of new cross-links in the nonequilibrium entangled network during resting.