Effect of electron beam pretreated wheat flour on dough properties

Abstract

This work used electron beam irradiation (EBI) to pretreat wheat flour with five doses (0, 2, 4, 6, and 8 kGy) and analyzed the subsequent effects on dough and bread characteristics. The results indicated that EBI enhanced gas release during dough fermentation. Notably, bread prepared from irradiated wheat flour (at 2, 4, 6, 8 kGy) exhibited a significant reduction in hardness by 56%, 51%, 47%, and 50%, respectively, after 7 d of storage, compared to control bread. FTIR and laser confocal microscopy methods were employed to track and quantify the dough structure, highlighting that the enhancements in dough properties are intricately associated with increased interactions between the gluten network and starch. This work suggests using EBI technology to produce wheat bread and enhance quality, bringing up new research opportunities for bakery product processing.