Application of xyloglucan to improve the gluten membrane on breadmaking

Effects of xyloglucan (XG) on the physical properties of dough and bread quality were studied. XG was fractionated to water-soluble (WS-XG) by enzymatic hydrolysis with cellulase, and the four kinds of WS-XG: WS-XG-A (average degree of polymerization; 17), WS-XG-B (32), WS-XG-C (78) and WS-XG-D (223) were obtained. XG without enzymatic hydrolysis was termed water-insoluble xyloglucan (WI-XG). Additions of WS-XG-A (3%), WS-XG-D (1–5%) and WI-XG (3%) increased the stability of the dough and improved the loaf and softness of bread samples. Especially, the WS-XG-D (1–5%) significantly improved the various factors of the final products, such as loaf volume, storage properties and good appearances with fine distribution of small size gas cells, and its addition of low level (1%) still showed improving effects, as compared with other additives. The more viscous gluten matrix could be observed in the mixed doughs with WS-XG-D, than the control sample without XG. WS-XG-D increased the water activity of the dough, and therefore the gluten matrix of dough became strong and uniform. Since the WS-XG-D had the higher degree of polymerization, it might be polymerized during mixing or fermentation, followed by the formation of new insoluble-XG after baking. Appropriate amount of the new WI-XG formed from WS-XG-D was considered to improve the storage properties with higher water holding property than WS-XG-D alone.