An insight into the rheology and texture assessment: The influence of sprouting treatment on the whole wheat flour

The textural properties of whole grain foods strongly influence their sensory evaluation for optimal consumer acceptability. The pasting, dynamic rheological, and mixing properties of sprouted whole wheat flour were determined to aid prediction of the textural properties of the final bread products. In addition, the microstructure of sprouted and unsprouted wheat dough was compared using fluorescent staining and microscopy. The viscosity of sprouted wheat flour gels was much higher than that of unsprouted flour gels, and their storage moduli (G′) were always higher than their loss moduli (G″) after sprouting. Compared with unsprouted wheat bread, sprouted wheat bread was characterized by higher hardness, gumminess and chewiness, lower cohesiveness, and a more open pore structure, resulting from its higher viscosity and weaker gluten network structure. There was a positive relationship between the viscosity of sprouted whole wheat flour dough and the textural parameters of sprouted whole wheat bread. Sprouted whole wheat appears to have great potential as an ingredient to produce chewier, more satisfying bread, with a slower eating rate.