Development of a laboratory baking test for Uruguayan French style hearth bread using Canadian wheat flour

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Straight grade Canadian wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) flours milled from a high and medium protein Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) wheat, a commercial sample of Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheat and a recently released CPSR variety, 5700PR, were used to develop and assess the impact of absorption, fermentation time and flour type on a laboratory-scale Uruguayan French style hearth bread baking procedure. The lean formula dough, containing flour, yeast, ascorbic acid, malt, yeast food and optimum water absorption as determined by dough feel, was mixed to peak development in a GRL 1000 mixer, fermented, and divided into multiple (175-g) pieces. Dough pieces were sheeted and moulded using a commercial hearth bread moulder, proofed, cut (diagonal top surface cut) and baked in a modified National laboratory oven equipped with steam. Optimum dough absorption for all four flours was 62% in spite of a wide range in farinograph absorption. Optimum fermentation time was 75 min based on moulded dough length, bread volume and form, cut width and crumb texture and colour. The lower protein CWRS and the CPSR variety, PR5700, showed superior overall performance relative to the other wheat flours. The performance of the commercial CPSR flour was clearly inferior to all other wheat flours. Excellent reproducibility was obtained for all measured parameters allowing good discrimination among samples. This baking procedure should prove useful in assessing the performance of Canadian wheat classes and varieties for Uruguay and other South American markets where similar bread is popular. Key words: Triticum aestivum L., wheat, baking, hearth bread, Uruguayan bread, Canadian wheat, Canada Western Red Spring, Canada Prairie Spring Red