Soft‐textured wheat with high protein content and strength is suitable for making hot‐press tortillas

Abstract

AbstractBackground and ObjectivesSoft‐textured wheat with low damaged starch content, low product discoloration, and varying protein strength has the potential to be suitable for making tortillas if the required flour characteristics are known and selected for. Eastern US soft winter (ESW) wheat varieties were evaluated to identify the characteristics required for making tortillas in comparison to five commercial tortilla flours (CTFs).FindingsESW wheat flours had lower protein, damaged starch and ash contents, and polyphenol oxidase activity than CTFs and produced larger and brighter‐colored tortillas. Lactic acid solvent retention capacity (LA‐SRC) showed a strong association with tortilla quality attributes. Seven ESW wheat flours with LA‐SRC greater than 115.6% produced tortillas comparable with CTF tortillas in rollability scores.ConclusionsESW wheat, with high protein content and strength, appears to be suitable for making tortillas. The lower damaged starch content and polyphenol oxidase activity in ESW wheat when compared with hard wheat flour would be advantageous because ESW wheat would require less water for dough preparation and would produce larger and brighter‐colored tortillas.Significance and NoveltyThese results prove that the selected ESW wheat flours are desirable for making tortillas and provide guidance for selecting ESW wheat for making tortillas.