Engineering

Materials science

Falling Number

Food science

Swelling

Superheating

Thermodynamics

Physics

Composite material

Superheated steam

Chemistry

Wheat flour

Pulp and paper industry

The effect of superheated steam treatment on the physicochemical properties of wheat flour and quality characteristics of cake were investigated. Superheated steam treatment significantly increased the swelling power, viscosities and gelatinization temperature, but reduced the gelatinization enthalpy (p < 0.05), compared with native wheat flour. However, the dough made from the treated flour was harder to form. Moreover, superheated steam treatment significantly increased the value of falling number. Cake quality was affected by the changes in the physicochemical properties of wheat flour. Results showed that superheated steam treatment significantly decreased the hardness of cake from 1465 g (native flour) to 377 g (150 °C, 1 min), and increased the specific volume of cake from 3.12 mL/g (native flour) to 3.9 mL/g (150 °C, 1 min). The present study suggests that superheated steam treatment has great potential as a flour modification technology for cake quality improvement.

The contribution of superheated steam treatment of wheat flour to the cake quality