Alveograph as a tool to assess the quality characteristics of wheat flour for parotta making

Studies were carried out to assess the relationship between alveograph characteristics and parotta making quality of wheat flours. Twenty-five commercial wheat flour samples were analysed for their chemical, alveograph and parotta making characteristics. The correlation co-efficient data indicated that among the chemical characteristics of wheat flours, ash content was found to be highly correlated to alveograph index of swelling, G (r = -0.838, P <= 0.001), gluten content and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) sedimentation value to the maximum over pressure, P (r = 0.951 and r = 0.875, P < 0.001), and to shear force (r = 0.954 and r = 0.840, P <= 0.001). Among alveograph characteristics, P was highly correlated to shear force of parrotta (r = 0.938, P <= 0.001). Average abscissa at rupture, L to spread ratio (r = 0.754, P <= 0.001). Curve configuration ratio, P/L to all the physical and sensory characteristics of parotta at 1% level. G is correlated to spread ratio (r = 0.914, P <= 0.001), texture (r = 0.928, P <= 0.001), layers (r = 0.934, P <= 0.001) and overall quality score (r = 0.931, P < 0.001). Deformation energy of dough, W is correlated to spread ratio (r = 0.825, P <= 0.001), texture (r = 0.892, P <= 0.001), layers (r = 0.901, P <= 0.001) and overall quality score (r = 0.872, P <= 0.001) indicating that alveograph G and W values could be considered as the indicators of the overall quality of parotta. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.