experimental and Numerical investigation of effect of ascending step heat flux on porosity and brightness of baked bread

Flatbreads have a small thickness and flat surface and, unlike bulk breads, are only used in few countries such as Iran. Given the lack of research on this type of bread, the objective of this study was to numerically and experimentally investigate the porosity and surface brightness of flatbreads baked under different ascending step heat flux profiles. In order to investigate the effect of different heat flux profiles on the baking process of porous flatbread, the required breads were baked in a laboratory-scale device and the equations of heat and mass transfer, porosity, and brightness were numerically modeled using the finite difference method in MATLAB. The results showed were suggestive of the good consistency between the experimental and numerical values. A total of 3 ascending step heat flux profiles with different time steps was experimentally and numerically investigated. The results also showed that the porosity of the bread baked under an ascending heat flux profile with 4 steps was more regular and that the average diameter and area of porosities obtained from the SEM imaging were higher in this profile compared to the other profiles. Moreover, based on the experimental and numerical results, the surface bright parameter (L*) was within the appropriate range for the breads baked under the ascending heat flux profile with 4 steps.