Quality changes during frozen storage and thawing of mixed bread

In the present work investigations of the dependence between frozen storage time, the method of thawing (air blast at 50 degrees C and microwave), organoleptic and physico-chemical changes in bread are reported. The quality of the thawed product was analysed directly after thawing and after two days of storage at room temperature. It was found that changes in quality of bread are more affected by frozen storage than by the employed thawing method. The thawing methods had a significant (p < or = 0.01) effect on the investigated physico-chemical parameters of the product, however, their statistically significant (p < or = 0.01) effect on the sensory quality could only be revealed after two days of storage of the previously thawed bread at room temperature rather than directly after thawing. The results obtained in the present study suggest that bread which underwent microwave thawing had generally better quality in comparison with air blast thawing.