Evaluation and utilization of commercial processed flour mill streams for development of specialty flour for pizza...

Wheat flour milling involves a gradual grinding process resulting in production of various flour streams. This study focuses on developing specialty flour for pizza production using these millstreams. Fifteen commercial wheat mill streams were evaluated for their physical, chemical, rheological, and pizza-making characteristics. These flour streams varied in particle size, chemical composition, and properties for product making. Notably, a decrease in flour brightness value was observed from C1 (90.57) to C9 (82.95) reduction passage. Furthermore, ash content, gluten content, and SDS sedimentation value increased with an increase in break passages flour streams. Pizza bases made from the break passages flour streams exhibited lower spread ratio, dull colour, and lower overall quality score compared to those made from front reduction passages flour streams. Flour streams from the front reduction passages produced pizza bases of superior quality. Results of the textural properties of pizza bases indicated that those from the front reduction passage had lower hardness, gumminess, and stiffness values, while the springiness values were higher. Flour streams demonstrating favourable pizza-making properties were combined from front reduction passages to form specialty flour (SPF). The SPF pizza base reported a higher overall quality score of 28 compared to straight run flour (SRF) with a score of 24.