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Effects of Enzymes and Oxidizing Agents on Shear Stress Relaxation of Wheat Flour Dough: Additions of Protease, Glucose Oxidase, Ascorbic Acid, and Potassium Bromate

¹Department of Food Engineering, University of Lund, P.O. Box 124, S-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Phone: 46 46-29835. Fax: 46 46-104622. ²Corresponding author. E-mail: kawicon@algonet.se ³Department of Food Technology, University of Lund, Sweden.

Measuring shear stress relaxation with an established research rheometer after slowly applying large strain proved useful for characterizing the effects of different chemical and enzymatic additives. Baking tests done with and without added ascorbic acid indicated that the method can be used for predicting effects of such additives on breadbaking quality. The relaxation process for dough is discussed in terms of two flow processes, one occurring at short time periods and the other at longer time periods. The slowly applied large strain shear stress relaxation method provides information about stress relaxation behavior during the second flow process. The effects of two enzymes (protease and glucose oxidase) and two chemical additives (ascorbic acid and potassium bromate) were studied. The results are presented as the stress relaxation curve with the corresponding rate plot and the initial value of the stress. Addition of the oxidizing agents increased the second flow process times and decreased the relaxation rate during the second process. Protease shortened the second flow process times and increased the relaxation rate during the second process. Glucose oxidase separated the two flow processes by increasing the relaxation time of the second process and decreasing the relaxation time of the first process.