Impact of Wheat Fiber on Frozen Dough Shelf Life and Bread Quality

Freezing and prolonged frozen storage of dough results in constant deterioration in the overall quality of the final product. In this study the effect of wheat bran and wheat aleurone as sources of arabinoxylan (AX) on the quality of bread baked from yeasted frozen dough was investigated. Wheat fiber sources were milled to pass through a 0.5 mm screen, prehydrated for 15 min, and incorporated into refined wheat flour at 15% replacement level. Dough products were prepared from refined flour (control A), whole wheat flour (control B), aleurone composite flour (composite flour A), and bran composite flour (composite flour B) and stored at -18 degrees C for 28 weeks. Dough samples were evaluated for breadmaking quality at zero time, 14 weeks, and 28 weeks of storage. Quality parameters evaluated were loaf weight, loaf specific volume, and crumb firmness. Composite flour bread samples showed the most resistance to freeze damage (less reduction in the overall product quality), indicating a possible role of some fiber components (e.g., AX) in minimizing water redistribution in the dough system and therefore lessening adverse modifications to the gluten structure. The data suggest that the shelf life of frozen dough and quality of obtained bread can be improved with the addition of an AX source.