Development of technological solutions for flour production with specified quality parameters

Abstract

Today, bakery and milling industry is actively developing, as well as other branches of food industry. This is due to the applying of new foreign trends to the technology and range of products of the Ukrainian market. In these conditions, the classic offering of flour is already inadequate. To meet the needs of modern bakeries, milling industry is facing a new challenge: production of flour grades with specified quality parameters.

The article considers the technological and baking properties of flour from all systems of the technological process of a flourmill with a capacity of 300 tons per day. Studies have shown that flour from first-quality systems is whiter by 15–20 units, is by 1.0–1.8% lower in ash, by 1–3% lower in protein, by 2–4% lower in gluten with more elastic properties, has a Falling Number higher by 80–110 s, a water absorption capacity lower by 1–5%, a damaged starch value lower by 1–3 UCD as compared to flour from systems of some other quality. Technological solutions are developed for producing a special flour grade by its selection and mixing from the streams of the 1^st break system (B1/B2), 1^st reduction system (C1/C2), 2^nd sizing system (R2), and 1^st vibratory bran finisher system (V1). It has been found that the developed grade of flour – patent superior grade flour – meets the requirements and has high baking performance. It has a gluten content higher by 2%, Falling Number lower by 20 s, and Starch Damage less by 2 UCD, as compared to patent high grade flour. This makes it possible to obtain bread larger in volume by 55 cm³, with smooth, even crust, elastic white crumb, and uniform porosity (80%). According to rheological characteristics determined with a Mixolab device, patent superior grade flour has a higher Water Absorption Index, a higher Viscosity Index, a lower Gluten+ Index, and a lower Amylase Index than patent high grade flour. The developed technological solutions for producing flour with specified quality parameters have been introduced at the flourmill with an equipment package, from the company Alapala (Turkey), with a capacity of 300 tons per day.