Impact of wheat bran micronization on dough properties and bread quality: Part I-Bran functionality and dough properties

This study aimed to investigate the effect of wheat bran micronization on its functionality including physicochemical and antioxidant properties, and dough properties. Coarse bran (D50 = 362.3 +/- 20.5 mu m) was superfine ground to medium (D50 = 60.4 +/- 10.1 mu m) and superfine (D50 = 11.3 +/- 2.6 mu m) bran, accompanied with increasing specific surface area and breakdown of aleurone layers. Bran micronization increased its soluble dietary fibre content, ferulic acid liberation, and antioxidant properties including total polyphenol content, ABTS center dot+ and DPPH center dot scavenging activities, while decreased its water retention capacity and insoluble dietary fibre content. Moreover, bran micronization impacted dough rheological properties. The dough with superfine bran had higher water absorption and gelatinization temperature, peak viscosity, final viscosity and setback value, lower stability time, resistance to extension, and extensibility than the dough with coarse bran. This dough furthermore exhibited more solid-like properties characterized by decreased loss moduli and frequency dependence (n').

Automated summary

Micronization of wheat bran enhances its antioxidant properties and soluble dietary fiber content, while reducing water retention capacity and insoluble dietary fiber content. The addition of superfine bran in dough affects its rheological properties, showing higher water absorption and gelatinization temperature, along with more complex viscous behavior.