Influence of Hydrocolloids on Dough Properties and Quality of Barbari: An Iranian Leavened Flat Bread

Barbari is a traditional flat leavened Iranian bread and one of the most popular breads consumed in Iran and some other countries in the Middle East. Barbari stales very fast and its shelf life is very short. Therefore, addition of bread improvers and anti-staling agents, such as hydrocolloids, is a suitable method for extending the shelf life of the bread. In the present study, the effect of various hydrocolloids including hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), xanthan, and κ-carrageenan at 0.2 and 0.5% levels were investigated on dough rheological properties, fresh bread quality, and bread staling. Dough water absorption was increased by all hydrocolloids tested and HPMC had the highest effect. Application of all hydrocolloids, except κ-carrageenan, resulted in increase in dough development time (DDT). Only xanthan addition at 0.5% level showed an increase in dough stability, while the other treatments showed a reduction in the stability of the dough. Anti-staling effect was observed for HPMC and κ-carrageenan, but not for xanthan. The effect of hydrocolloid addition on some sensory indexes of bread such as upper surface and chew-ability was more pronounced than other indexes. Sensory analysis showed that all hydrocolloid addition treatments, except 0.5% xanthan, were able to improve the overall acceptability of the bread. The highest improvement in bread overall acceptability was brought about by HPMC. Hydrocolloid addition to the bread formulation could improve the sensory properties of Barbari bread and retarded the staling process. Based on the present study, the highest improvement in Barbari dough and bread quality could be obtained by the addition of 0.5% HPMC into the formulation.