Pastry Lift and Croissant Volume as Affected by Microbial Transglutaminase

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Microbial transglutaminase forms nondisulfide covalent crosslinks in proteins and is increasingly being used in foods. We have previously demonstrated beneficial effects of microbial transglutaminase during breadmaking, which are comparable to traditional oxidizing improvers, hypothesized to act via formation of disulfide crosslinks. Transglutaminase substantially improved the lift of puff pastry. It also had a dramatic effect on the volume of yeasted croissants made with both white flour and a blend of wholemeal and white flour. Furthermore, these effects were preserved after the pastry and croissant doughs had undergone frozen storage for periods of up to 90 d. Transglutaminase, therefore, offers a potential solution to the problem of pastry and croissant dough deterioration on frozen storage.