Effects of Increased High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunits Content of Flour on Dough Mixing Behavior and Breadmaking

Abstract

The level of high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) in Soissons flour was increased with isolated Soissons HMW-GS (1.0−4.0 mg/g of flour) by either simple addition or using a previously developed method (Békés et al. Cereal Chem. 1994, 71, 44−50) for incorporation of monomeric glutenin subunits into flour endogenous glutenin polymers. It was demonstrated that the incorporation method, originally developed for Mixograph tests, is equally well-suitable for straight dough breadmaking tests, allowing direct extension of the effect of incorporated glutenin subunits on dough Mixograph mixing properties to their effect on loaf volume. Although the expected dough strengthening effect (increased mixing requirement and tolerance to overmixing) upon incorporation of HMW-GS was indeed clear from the Mixograms, the improved dough properties did not lead to higher loaf volumes. Furthermore, simple addition of unalkylated HMW-GS also strengthened the dough. On the other hand, alkylated Soissons HMW-GS did not improve dough mixing properties. The different effects of alkylated and unalkylated HMW-GS may suggest that even with simple addition unalkylated HMW-GS can be incorporated into flour endogenous glutenin polymers or may point to the importance of free sulfhydryl groups during dough mixing. Keywords: Breadmaking; dough mixing; high molecular weight glutenin subunits