Effects of milk proteins and gums on quality of bread made from frozen dough

BACKGROUND: Mixtures of milk proteins and gums incorporated into bread formulations may enhance the quality of bread and retard the deterioration of frozen dough. Our objective was to investigate the effects of mixtures of milk proteins (casein (C) and whey protein (W)) and gums (sodium alginate (A) and kappa-carrageenan (K) on the quality of bread made from frozen dough. We hypothesized that bread containing milk proteins and gums would be of improved quality. Milk proteins improve texture, moisture retention and specific volume, and reduce the size of ice crystals, while gums incorporated into the bread improve moisture retention, control water mobility and prevent the growth of ice crystals, so we hypothesized milk proteins and gums would suppress the quality deterioration of bread during frozen storage. RESULTS: We found that mixtures of milk proteins and gums proved effective with regard to the maintenance of the baking quality of frozen dough. Breads containing CA had a higher specific loaf volume than the control bread. The addition of WK enhanced crumb firmness during extended frozen storage. In sensory evaluation, the addition of WA and CA contributed to the improvement of baking quality, taste, texture and acceptability. CONCLUSION: These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that mixtures of milk proteins and gums improved baking quality by reducing the deterioration of frozen dough. These results indicate that the addition of CA and WA improved the bread quality and WK could effectively be used as an anti-staling agent in bread. (C) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry