Effect of Salt and Ethanol Addition on Zein-Starch Dough and Bread Quality

Development of viscoelastic doughs from non-wheat proteins allows for a wider range of gluten-free products. Little work has been completed to describe mechanisms of zein functionality in food systems. To identify factors responsible for dough development in zein-starch mixtures and their influence on zein bread quality, a mixture of 20% zein-80% maize starch was mixed with water and various reagents. Salts, NaSCN, NaCl, and Na₂ SO₄ were evaluated at concentrations from 0 to 2M for their influence on the properties of zein-starch dough systems. NaSCN at low concentrations produced softer dough. Ethanol treatments produced softer more workable dough in the absence of salts. Increasing concentrations of NaCl and Na₂ SO₄ resulted in coalescing of the proteins and no dough formation. The addition of β-ME had minimal softening effects on zein-starch dough. Specific volumes of zein-starch bread increased with decreasing NaCl addition in bread formulations. Likewise, including 5% ethanol (v/v) in the bread formula increased bread quality.