Assessment of Bread Dough Expansion during Fermentation

The aim of this work was to investigate different methods of measuring the expansion of bread dough during fermentation and to develop a mathematical model to describe the variation of dough volume. Dough was prepared with wheat flour, salt, yeast, and selected amount of water (56%, 58%, and 60% w/w flour basis). Proving time was 1 h and proving temperature investigated were 25, 30, and 35°C. Dough volume was measured with three methods: (1) vertical expansion in a flask, (2) horizontal expansion between two plates, and (3) free expansion method. Volume was measured either using displacement transducer or from image analysis of pictures taken during expansion. All the methods allowed monitoring the increase in dough volume as a function of proving time. Small differences were observed between the three methods. Free expansion shows a faster start of expansion in comparison with the two other methods. Expansion curves have been fitted with a modified Gompertz model (Romano et al., J Food Eng 83:142–148, 2007). They exhibited three phases: a lag phase, followed by a linear phase (constant expansion rate), and finally a phase with a decreasing expansion rate. Statistical analysis of the set of data showed that the proving temperature had a significant effect on the different parameters calculated (volume expansion ratio, expansion rate), while the water content had no significant effect.