Effect of brown seaweed addition and starch gelatinization on gluten-free chestnut flour doughs and cookies

The study evaluated the effect of starch gelatinization during mixing and Bifurcaria bifurcata seaweed powder (BBP) addition at 3, 6 and 9% (w/w) flour basis on rheological properties of chestnut flour doughs, antioxidant activity and textural properties of cookies. BBP addition increased the stability time (approximate to 1 min) and decreased the mechanical weakening (0.01-0.09 N m) of doughs. BBP addition > 6% increased elastic character and zero shear viscosity of doughs. Water absorption obtained by standard mixing test can be employed to carry out mixing at 50 degrees C obtaining the same target consistency. Gelatinized starch enhanced the recovery properties of doughs (approximate to 10%). Baking step increased total phenolic content and free radical DPPH scavenging activity (> 25%) of cookies extracts in comparison to those obtained from non-baked flour blends. Hardness of cookies increased with BBP addition (> 3%) and it is in the same range (8000-10,000 g) of other commercial cookies. These results indicated that these fortified GF cookies can be considered as alternative for improving the coeliac people diet.