Effects of baking conditions on colour, texture and crumb grain characteristics of Chhana Podo

Abstract

Baking, the key step in the preparation of Chhana Podo, involves simultaneous heat and mass transfer that induces physicochemical and structural changes in the product. The effects of baking conditions on colour, texture and crumb grain development in the product were evaluated. The browning index of baked Podo increased from the initial value of 15.7 to 95, 101 and 112, at baking temperatures of 120, 135 and 150 °C, respectively. Browning kinetics followed the logistic model (R2 > 0.98) with an activation energy of 17.81 kJ/mol. In general, crumb grain characteristics such as mean cell area, cell density and cell‐to‐total area ratio increased with increase in baking time and temperature. Textural attributes such as hardness, chewiness and gumminess increased with baking time and temperature while springiness, cohesiveness and resilience increased up to 40 min due to the filling‐up of pores water and liquid by fat and expanding water, but decreased thereafter.