Location: Grain Quality and Structure Research
Project Number: 3020-30600-001-006-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2026
End Date: Aug 31, 2028
Objective:
The mixing requirements of different flour varieties and resulting end-product quality still baffle the milling and baking industries. Information obtained from traditional flour testing equipment, particularly reliance on single parameters, often offers poor prediction of bread volume, particularly when processed in high-speed industrial lines. Not only is this a challenge for grain-based food processors, it also creates a disconnect between trait selection during wheat breeding and actual flour utilization. In this project we propose categorizing wheat varieties based on the energy required for mixing under the various mixers available in a flour testing lab.
Approach:
In this project we propose to categorize wheat varieties based on the energy required for mixing under the various mixers available in a flour testing lab. Each variety will be characterized in terms of polymeric protein, water-extractable arabinoxylan content and damaged starch, which are known determinants of dough viscosity. Mixing energy will be correlated to bread volume, both at laboratory scale and pilot scale, establishing the potential for scale-up performance prediction.