Thermomechanical Properties of Dough and Quality of Noodles Made from Wheat Flour Supplemented with Different Grades of Tartary Buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum Gaertn.) Flour

Abstract

Tartary buckwheat has attracted attention worldwide for its nutritional value. To examine the potential application of tartary buckwheat in oriental noodle production, different proportions of four grades of tartary buckwheat flour (TBF) were added to noodle dough. TBF is produced from the hulled tartary buckwheat by passing it through break rolls and a 120-mesh sieve of a complete buckwheat processing set four times to produce four grade fractions, A, B, C, and D. The thermomechanical properties of the dough as well as the quality of noodles made with different grades of TBF were assessed. The results indicate that protein, fiber, lipid, and ash contents increased while starch content decreased sequentially from fraction A to fraction D. The addition of TBF significantly decreased the water absorption and stability of the wheat dough. No significant differences were found in cooking loss or the tensile strength of cooked, formulated noodles between 10 and 20 % of fraction A and 10 % of fraction B. Additionally, TBF decreased the firmness of cooked noodles and gave the dry noodles a more yellow hue with low lightness. A sensory evaluation confirmed that the noodles containing fraction A or B in the above proportions showed no significant differences in acceptability when compared with the noodles prepared with only wheat flour. In conclusion, TBF fractions A and B could be used as a nutritional additive in oriental noodles.