Modification of the rheological behavior of amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) dough

For people with celiac disease, a lifelong abdication of gluten including-products is necessary to live a life without celiac affected reactions. The production of high-quality bread from gluten free flour is not simple in comparison to gluten including flours such as those derived from wheat (Triticum spp.). The gas binding and crumb structure forming capacity are very low in gluten free batters. They can efficiently be analyzed through the rheological properties of the dough used. The use of acidification in amaranth (Amaranthus hypochondriacus) dough preparation is a possible means of changing the rheological behavior of amaranth in the desired direction. Methods include the use of lactic acid directly, or the fermentation via lactic acid bacteria. Adding up to 20 mL lactic acid/kg flour in amaranth dough preparation led, during oscillation tests, to an increase of the complex shear modulus up to 30% in the range of 0.1 up to 10 Hz. The use of sourdough fermentation decreased the complex shear modulus in the same test up to nearly 60%. In creep recovery tests, the elastic part of amaranth dough decreased from 65.4% without any treatment down to 63.9% by the addition of up to 20 mL lactic acid/kg flour. Sourdough fermentation by Lactobacillus plantarum was able to decrease it to 54%. The acidification showed a significant positive influence on the rheological parameters of amaranth dough only at the higher stress level. In contrast, sourdough fermentation was able to produce doughs with viscosity and elasticity similar to that found in pure wheat flours. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.