BLBS102-c34 BLBS102-Simpson March 21, 2012 14:7 Trim: 276mm X 219mm Printer Name: Yet to Come
666 Part 5: Fruits, Vegetables, and Cereals
2004, Meuser et al. 1994, Seibel and Brummer 1991). As starter, ̈
a commercial culture containing lactic acid bacteria or a portion
of previous sourdough, equally containing lactic acid bacteria,
is used (Seibel and Brummer 1991). In homofermentative lac- ̈
tic acid fermentation, the lactic acid bacteria ferment glucose
mainly into lactic acid; in heterofermentative lactic acid fermen-
tation, considerable levels of acetic acid are formed in addition
to lactic acid. The formation of lactic acid and acetic acid during
lactic acid fermentation can and must be controlled, as the ratio
of lactic acid to acetic acid is quite important for optimal bread
quality. Sourdoughs with a high lactic acid content are used
mainly for rye and mixed rye breads, while sourdoughs with
a high acetic acid content are ideally suited for mixed wheat
bread (Seibel and Br ̈ummer 1991). One-, two-, and three-stage
sourdough processes are used (Meuser et al. 1994, Seibel and
Brummer 1991). These processes require different fermentation ̈
times, dough temperatures, and water to flour ratios, and the
resulting doughs have different lactic acid to acetic acid ratios
(Seibel and Brummer 1991). Depending on the proportion of rye ̈
flour in the sourdough, various degrees of acidity are required
(Seibel and Brummer 1991). ̈
There are different reasons for using sourdough. Acid con-
ditions have a positive influence on the swelling of rye flour
constituents and control the enzyme activity in the dough,
thereby preventing early staling (Meuser et al. 1994, Seibel and
Brummer 1991). Rye flours with high enzyme activity require ̈
a higher degree of acidification than flours with less enzyme
activity (Meuser et al. 1994). Bread sensory properties, such as
taste and aroma, can be improved by optimal use of sourdough
(Heini ̈o et al. 2003a, Meuser et al. 1994, Seibel and Brummer ̈
1991). It contributes to aroma in the bread due to the production
of acids, alcohols, and other volatile compounds (Heini ̈oetal.
2003a, Poutanen 1997). Sourdough bread has good crumb char-
acteristics (Seibel and Brummer 1991) and nutritional proper- ̈
ties (Kariluoto et al. 2004, Meuser et al. 1994, Poutanen 1997).
Acidification of rye dough also protects against spoilage by mold
growth, thereby improving product shelf life (Meuser et al. 1994,
Poutanen 1997, Seibel and Brummer 1991). When sourdough is ̈
used in wheat bread making, its main function is to improve sen-
sory properties and to prolong shelf life (Br ̈ummer and Lorenz
1991).
Mixing and Kneading Rye flour, yeast, salt, and water are op-
timally mixed and kneaded with sourdough, lactic acid, or lactic
and acetic acid to form a viscoelastic dough. The level of water
is that yielding the required dough consistency. Rye doughs have
to be mixed slowly because of their high arabinoxylan content,
which leads to tough doughs when the energy input is exces-
sive. The optimal mixing time depends on the composition and
enzymic activities of the rye flour (Seibel and Weipert 2001a).
Important dough quality characteristics are dough yield, that
is, the amount of optimally developed dough obtained from
100 g flour, and dough structure.
Fermentation Mixing and kneading of the dough is followed
by a floor time. Thereafter, the dough is divided into pieces,
which are molded by hand into the desired shape. The doughs
are then proofed to their best potential. Fermentation takes place
at 30–36◦C and 70–85% relative humidity. Fermentation time
depends on the composition of the flour, the activity of the flour
enzymes, the dough formulation, and the fermentation temper-
atures.
During fermentation, carbon dioxide is produced, and the gas
is retained by the dough, resulting in a volume increase of the
dough. Although the rate of gas production in rye flour dough
is high, the gas-retaining capacity is low, resulting in dense,
compact loaves (He and Hoseney 1991).
Baking After fermentation, the dough is placed in an oven and
transformed into bread. Bread quality depends on baking tem-
perature, uniformity of temperature in the oven, and baking time.
Optimum baking temperature and time depend on the weight of
the dough pieces and the shape of the loaves, which determine
the rate of heat transfer. In rye bread making, at the beginning
of the baking stage, steam is often used in the oven to develop
good crust characteristics (Seibel and Weipert 2001a).
Important bread quality characteristics are specific volume,
crumb structure, crumb elasticity, crumb firmness during stor-
age; and sensory properties such as taste, flavor, and odor.
Impact of Rye Constituents on Dough and Bread
Quality Characteristics
Different rye varieties show highly different bread-making qual-
ity as influenced by harvest year and genotype (Hansen et al.
2004, Nilsson et al. 1997b, Rattunde et al. 1994). This can be at-
tributed to significant differences in the content and structure of
the major rye constituents, which are influenced by both factors
(Hansen et al. 2003).
Starch Starch gelatinization andα-amylase activity are very
important parameters for the bread-making quality of rye flour.
Both properties can, for example, be measured by the falling
number method or the amylograph test. The falling number is
inversely related toα-amylase activity. An important parameter
in the amylograph test is amylograph peak viscosity, which is
correlated positively with starch content and negatively withα-
amylase activity. It should be noted, however, that arabinoxylans
can influence falling number and amylograph characteristics of
rye flours. At similarα-amylase activity levels, higher falling
numbers (Weipert 1993a, 1993b, 1994) and higher amylograph
peak viscosities (Nilsson et al. 1997b) can be measured due to
higher arabinoxylan contents. The arabinoxylans increase the
viscosity, but also protect the starch granules against enzymic
breakdown by hindering and retarding the activity ofα-amylase
(Weipert 1993b, 1994).
For rye bread-making suitability, a minimum starch gela-
tinization temperature of 63◦C and, under specified experimen-
tal conditions, a minimum amylograph peak viscosity of 200
amylograph units (AU) are required. Rye shows optimal bread-
making quality at a starch gelatinization temperature of 65–69◦C
and an amylograph peak viscosity of 400–600 AU (Weipert
1993a). Maximum bread-making quality is associated with in-
termediate values of falling number (Rattunde et al. 1994). Rye