Multivariate Analysis of Wheat Flour Dough Sugars, Gas Production, and Dough Development at Different Fermentation Times

A Principal Component Analysis method based on multivariate analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between the fermentable sugar content of dough and its behaviour during fermentation at different fermentation times of 60, 120, and 180 minutes. The concentration of fermentable sugars during dough fermentation (sucrose, glucose, maltose, and fructose) was determined using a High Performance Liquid Chromatography device. Also, the Chopin Rheofermentometer device was used for the analysis of gas production and dough development at the fermentation times mentioned above. From the aspect of the correlations established between the parameters obtained by the two devices, very good correlations were obtained. For example, the gas production showed a positive correlation with glucose content after 60 min of fermentation (r = 0.846) and a negative correlation with fructose content after 120 min of fermentation time (r = -0.993).