The Effects of Storage Time and Environmental Storage Conditions on Flour Quality, Dough Rheology, and Biscuit Characteristics: The Case Study of a Traditional Italian Biscuit (Biscotto di Prato)

Abstract

Many types of baked goods are firmly rooted in the food habits of many people in different countries. Although there have been great strides in improving milling, kneading, and baking, given the lack of essential studies, further steps forward need to be taken to understand the effects of storage time and environmental storage conditions, thus motivating this work. The aim of this study is to assess the effects of storage time, using one-way ANOVA, and environmental storage conditions (environmental temperature and humidity), using MOLS analysis, on flour composition, dough rheology, and biscuit characteristics. Seven levels of storage time were tested: T0 (control), T1, T2, T3, T4, T5, and T6. The results showed that flour storage time significantly increased dough tenacity (P) and curve configuration ratio (P/L), and decreased the biscuit volume (best at T0). However, 2–3 weeks of storage highlighted a significant increase in deformation energy (W), an essential alveograph parameter that is closely correlated to the technological success of leavened products. This optimum found for W might be considered as a great stride in understanding the effects of storage time, confirming that wheat flour can reach its optimal performance after two-three weeks of storage, in particular for W. Moreover, this information could be useful, not only for biscuits production, but also for bread and bakery products (and, thus, the entire bakery industry). MOLS analysis highlighted that dough rheology and biscuit characteristics are mainly affected by flour composition (primarily from starch content) rather than environmental storage parameters. In conclusion, to optimize the biscuit characteristics, it is necessary to use flours with a low content of damaged starch by selecting the most suitable milling technique and carefully managing the operative parameters.

Manufacturing Functional Biscuits for Children and Studying Chemical Analysis, Sensory Characteristics and Storage Period

“…As for strength, it increased in the two treatments A and C, which were 19 for each, while it decreased for the standard treatment to reach 16, which was the lowest level among the treatments. The difference in the additions enhances the sensory characteristics studied and in some of the treatments reduces these characteristics due to the quantity and quality of the addition to the biscuit mixture [15,16]. One of the most important features of biscuits is its soft texture and rapid crumbling, but studies have shown that additives to the biscuit mixture change the characteristics of the biscuit, especially its hardness, and in most cases increase its storage period at room temperature, as the results of Table 5 showed differences in the storage period for the different types produced in the research, so it was higher The value of treatment A for the storage periods from the first day until the 28th day, as it recorded (4.32, 5.33, 6.03, 6.66, 7) days, respectively, while the least solid was in treatment C for the period (0,7,14), which recorded (3.35, 3.37, 3.55) respectively -but in the storage period (21, 28) days, it was for treatment D, which amounted to (3.70, 3.78), respectively.…”

Formulation of Whole Wheat Bitter Gourd-Supplemented Cookies for Improving Blood Glycemic Levels: Insights of Inhibition Assays and Antioxidant Activities

“…The antioxidant capacity of BG cookies was determined by employing three antioxidant assays. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assay was executed using the protocol described by Cappelli et al 14 A freshly prepared 2 mL ethanol solution of 0.1 mM DPPH free radical (4 mg/100 mL) was mixed with 50 μL of aqueous solution of the respective cookie extracts and 500 μL of Tris HCl buffer (pH 7.4). The absorbance was measured at 517 nm.…”

“…The textural analysis of cookies was determined using a Textural Analyzer (Imada, Toyohashi, Japan) by using a flat cylindrical probe (2 cm diameter). 14 Color Analysis of Cookies. The color of the cookies was analyzed using a digital colorimeter (Konika Minolta, CR-20, Tokyo, Japan) 15 CIELab color scale was used to get L*, a*, and b*values.…”

“…Determination of Phenols and Flavonoids. The phenolic content (TPC) was measured using the method of Cappelli et al 14 after slight modifications. Treatment groups of the BG cookies were grinded, and solutions (w/v) were made using water.…”

Research progress on the formation mechanism and detection technology of bread flavor

“…In addition, the flavor of bread could change according to several factors such as raw material ratios, recipe, fermentation processes (direct or indirect methods), and fermented strains (Anna et al., 2018; Cappelli et al., 2022; Venturi et al., 2022). In terms of raw material ratios, flour is mixed with multigrain crops rich in a variety of trace elements (such as buckwheat, oats, kidney beans, potatoes, etc.)…”