Functional Properties of Non-Wheat Flour Substitutes in Composite Flours. I. The Effect of Non-Wheat Starches in Composite Doughs

Abstract

Some functional properties relative to breadmaking of starches and flours prepared from tubers of yam (Dioscorea rotundata Poir., Dioscorea alata L., Dioscorea cayenensis Lam.), cormels of cocoyam (Xanthosoma sagittifolium Schott.), roots of cassava (Manihot utilissima Pohl.), fruits of plantain (Musa paradisiaca L.), and grains of sorghum and millet were studied and compared with those of a starch and a typical bread flour of Canadian HRS wheat origin. All materials were tested for gelatinization temperature, pasting characteristics and diastatic activity and an attempt was made to correlate these properties with the results of baking tests performed with mixtures in which 15% of wheat flour was replaced by the tested material. Though considerable differences were found between the starches, the results indicate that in the replacement of wheat flour by any non-wheat flour, the functionalities of other components than starch may play a more significant role than the variations in starch properties. When wheat flour was partially replaced by pure starches, the best baking performance was achieved with blends containing cassava starch. When non-wheat flours were used instead of pure starches, the best loaf volumes were obtained with blends containing yam flours.