An Innovative Approach in the Baking of Bread with CO2 Gas Hydrates as Leavening Agents

Abstract

Gas (guest) molecules are trapped in hydrogen-bonded water molecules to form gas hydrates (GH), non-stoichiometric solids that resemble ice. High pressure and low temperature are typical conditions for their development, with van der Waals forces joining the host and guest molecules. This article study investigates the application of CO2 gas hydrates (CO2 GH) as a leavening agent in baking, with particular reference to the production of wheat bread. The main intention of this study is to better understand the complex bread dough formed by CO2 GH and its impact on product quality. This may enable the adaptation of CO2 GH in baking applications, such as those that can specifically influence wheat bread properties, and so the final bread quality. The present research further examines the comparative evaluation of yeast bread with the GH bread’s impact on bread quality parameters. The amount of GH was varied from 10 to 60%/amount of flour for the GH breads. The GH breads were compared with the standard yeast bread for different quality parameters such as volume, texture, and pore analysis. The results show that the bread with 20% and 40% GH obtained the best results in terms of volume and pore size. Moreover, this article also sheds some light on the future applications of the use of CO2 GH as leavening agents in foods. This knowledge could help to create new procedures and criteria for improved GH selection for applications in bread making and other bakery or food products.

Improving the Leavening Effect of Ice like CO2 Gas Hydrates by Addition of Gelling Agents in Wheat Bread

“…It was discovered that the standard made with yeast, EW, and RF had significantly more browning than the other standard bread made only with EW and RF or the standard made with AC, EW, and RF. The reason might be attributed to the fact that yeast impacts bread color by producing secondary metabolites via several metabolic pathways via non-enzymatic chemical processes such as Maillard and caramelization [ 21 , 22 , 23 ], which generate brown colored chemicals during baking [ 24 , 25 , 26 ]. Moreover, it was found that the addition of 40% GH in the wheat bread along with gelling agents AC, EW, and RF further enhanced the physical appearance of the bread in comparison to the standards that were made alone with EW and RF or AC, EW, and RF combinations ( Figure 1 ).…”

“…One of the previous studies in this area of GH as a leavening agent showed that GH alone was not sufficient enough to make the bread softer in texture as it was in this case. The amount of hardness in the bread made with GH was a major concern when GH was added alone as a leavening agent [ 21 ]. The major strategy for resolving the issue raised in the previous research pertaining to the hardness of the GH bread is to blend certain functional gelling agents, to partially simulate wheat bread properties [ 21 ].…”

“…The amount of hardness in the bread made with GH was a major concern when GH was added alone as a leavening agent [ 21 ]. The major strategy for resolving the issue raised in the previous research pertaining to the hardness of the GH bread is to blend certain functional gelling agents, to partially simulate wheat bread properties [ 21 ]. However, in this research study, a major change in the hardness levels of the GH bread was observed, which can be sufficiently explained by the presence of the gelling agents in the dough system along with the CO 2 GH.…”

“…The CO 2 GH was created in a reactor installed at the Department of Process Analytics and Cereal Science, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany, in conjunction with installation help from the Institute of Fluid Mechanics (LSTME), FAU Erlangen, Germany [ 3 , 21 , 22 ]. The CO 2 GH was created by pouring 500 mL of distilled water mixed with natural amino acids as promoters into the reactor vessel, which was connected to the CO 2 gas cylinder at a pressure of 37 bars and a temperature of 273.15 K. After the gas molecules have been dissolved at a low temperature, the GH synthesis begins with nucleation and lasts three hours [ 3 , 21 ].…”

“…Thus, the usage of the starch-based dough gives it a higher viscosity, and increases its gas-holding capacity and foam stability [ 18 , 19 ]. Apart from this, all the gelling agents or flour improvers mentioned above are natural, thus the addition of such ingredients would not pose a threat to human health [ 20 , 21 , 22 ].…”