Relationship between rheological properties and microstructural characteristics of nondeveloped, partially developed, and developed doughs

Farinography and mixography are two commonly used procedures for evaluating dough properties. These procedures, however, cannot separate hydration and energy input during dough development, both of which are critically important for understanding fundamental rheological properties of dough. A rheometer and laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) were used to study the relationship between rheological properties and microstructural characteristics of developed (by farinograph with both shear and extensional deformations), of partially developed (by rheometer with either shear or extensional deformation), and of nondeveloped (no deformation) dough samples of wheat flours. Rheological data revealed that developed dough had the highest G* (most elastic or strong), followed by doughs partially developed with extensional deformation, and then shear deformation, and finally by nondeveloped dough. The LSCM z-sectioning (scanning of different layers of the sample) and the analysis of amount of protein matrix showed that developed dough had the most protein matrix and nondeveloped dough had the least protein matrix. It also showed that the higher the G*, the greater the protein network. Moreover, the type of deformation appeared to contribute to the development of protein matrix and further increase the dough strength. In this study, a combination of shear and extensional deformations by farinograph produced the most protein matrix and the strongest dough, followed by extensional deformation, shear deformation, and then no deformation.