3. Composition of Composite
Flours
The goal of earlier research with composite flours was to save the
largest possible percentage of wheat flour in the production of certain baked
products. The extent to which wheat flour could be replaced by other vegetable
flours naturally depended on the nature of the products to be baked.
3.1. Bread and Small Baked
Goods
Trials with composite flours with and without wheat flour were carried
out for this purpose. The composite flours containing wheat flour usually
consisted of 70% wheat flour, 25% maize/cassava starch and 5% soy flour. But
there were tests in which the composite flour contained no wheat flour at all –
for example 70% cassava flour or starch and 30% peanut and/or soy flour.
3.2. Pastry Goods
In this field the focus of the tests was on producing hard and soft
biscuits, with or without the use of wheat flour. As a rule, the composite
flour containing wheat consisted of 70 - 80% wheat flour and 20 - 30% soy
flour. In cases where no wheat was included, a mixture of 100% sorghum/millet
flour or 50% cassava starch, 20% milk powder and 30% soy flour was used.
3.3. Pasta
The best quality was achieved with mixed flours consisting of 60%
cassava starch, 15% peanut flour and 25% wheat flour, or 30% maize, 40% soy and
30% wheat. But there were tests in which no wheat flour at all was used – only
about 80% pre-gelatinized maize flour and 20% soy flour. In Japan, noodles with
or from buckwheat 25 (soba) are a traditional food, so nobody considers them to
be made from composite flour, which, by definition, is the case.
3.4. Technical Problems at the
Bakery
The use of composite flours with or without wheat gives rise to
technical problems in the production of baked goods. From the baker's point of
view the most important component of wheat flour is the protein of the gluten,
that plays a decisive role in dough formation, gas retention and the structure
of the crumb. If flour mixtures containing little or no wheat are used, certain
tricks have to be employed to achieve a properly leavened product in the end.
In 1954 Rotsch, and in 1961 Jongh, pointed out that better dough structures and
also better leavening of the bread can be achieved by using substances such as
pre-gelatinized flour and/or emulsifiers when working with composite flours
with or without wheat. Besides monoglycerides (0.5 - 1.0%), calcium and sodium
stearoyl lactylate (CSL and SSL) were used successfully at a dose of 0.5 - 1.0%
(flour basis). Carboxymethyl cellulose, alginate, guar, carob gum and also
pre-gelatinized potato starch were used as binding agents.
The limit for the addition of cassava/ maize/ rice to wheat flour for
bread and small baked products is at least 50 - 80% wheat flour. The percentage
depends on the baking quality of the imported wheat flour concerned. In the
case of biscuits it is possible to replace wheat flour completely.
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