300 Relationship between the maximum level of gaseous acetic acid treatment on breadmaking and the protein content in wheat flour.

M. SEGUCHI and M. Hayashi. Kobe Women’s University, Suma-ku, Kobe City, 654, Japan.

Eleven types of wheat flour, having various protein contents, were subjected to gaseous acetic acid treatment, and breadmaking was then performed with each flour type. Each wheat flour type exhibited maximum breadmaking properties, such as bread height and specific volume, in each different level of gaseous acetic acid treatment. There was a strong relationship (r = +0.7384) between the level of gaseous acetic acid treatment for maximum breadmaking properties and protein content in the wheat flour. The lower level of gaseous acetic acid treatment was selected for the lower protein containing wheat flour to achieve maximum breadmaking properties. Flour proteins may buffer against the pH decrease in wheat flour due to acetic acid.