Methods of regulating physical properties of dough using phytoextracts

This paper considers the prospects of using phytomaterials to solve the problems of baking industry, caused by the instability and defects of wheat flour, and analyses the main methods of regulating structural and mechanical properties of wheat dough and improving the quality of products made from weak flour. The prospects of using phytomaterials as natural alternatives to synthetic additives and baking improvers are presented. The chemical composition and the content of active substances in rosehips (the dogrose fruit) and hawthorn fruit are analyzed as to their effect on increasing the nutritional value and improving the protective properties of products as well as their effect on the course of the technological process, the quality of semi-finished and finished products. The methods of processing the phytomaterials have been suggested, and the optimum parameters of their extraction have been determined as to their effect on the protein-proteinase complex. Water and milk whey are suggested as extractants with the 1:10 ratio between the raw materials and the extractant, while the optimal temperature (100°C) and duration (60 minutes) of extraction were determined experimentally. Rational doses of phytoextracts have been found on the basis of their influence on gluten elasticity and the physical properties of wheat dough during its mixing and fermentation (30% of the rosehip water extract, 45% of hawthorn water extract, and 15% of whey extracts to the weight of flour). It has been established that proposed phytoextracts can increase the water absorption capacity of flour with weak and medium-strength gluten during dough mixing, improve its formation, stability, and elasticity, and decrease the degree of dilution according to the study of rheological properties of the dough using farinograph and extensograph. The mechanism of interactions and conformational changes in the structure of gluten proteins with the active substances of phytoextracts, especially pectins, polyphenols, and organic acids, has been suggested. It has been proven that fruit phytoextracts can be used as alternatives to synthetic improvers to process weak flour. Their usage allows solving the problems of regulating the properties of the gluten network and obtaining baked products with high physical, chemical, and sensory qualities. The proposed methods are effective and relatively easy to implement, which is important for small bakeries and restaurant establishments.