Crystallinity changes in wheat starch during the bread-making process: Starch crystallinity in the bread crust

The crystallinity of starch in crispy bread crust was quantified using several different techniques. Confocal scanning laser microscopy (CSLM) demonstrated the presence of granular starch in the crust and remnants of granules when moving towards the crumb. Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) showed an endothermic transition at 70 °C associated with the melting of crystalline amylopectin. The relative starch crystallinity, as determined by X-ray and DSC, from different types of breads was found to lie between 36% and 41% (X-ray) and between 32% and 43% (DSC) for fresh bread crust. Storage of breads in a closed box (22 °C) for up to 20 days showed an increase in crust crystallinity due to amylopectin retrogradation both by X-ray and DSC. However, DSC thermograms of 1-day old bread crust showed no amylopectin retrogradation and after 2 days storage, amylopectin retrogradation in the crust was hardly detectable. 13C CP MAS NMR was used to characterize the physical state of starch in flour and bread crumb and crust. The intensity of the peaks showed a dependence on the degree of starch gelatinization.Comparison of the results for two different types of bread showed that the baking process influenced the extent of starch crystallinity in the bread crust. Amylopectin retrogradation, which is the main process responsible for the staling of bread crumb, cannot be responsible for crispness deterioration of the crust as amylopectin retrogradation upon storage of breads could only be measured in the crust after 2 days storage. Under the same conditions loss of bread crust crispness proceeds over shorter times.