Accelerated ageingof wheat grains: Part I- Influence on rheological properties of wheat flour

Natural ageing is defined as handling and storage of freshly harvested grain for several years under storage condition to achieve suitable flour quality after milling. Accelerated ageing of wheat which is obtained using higher temperature during a specific storage time under controlled relative humidity may improve the quality of wheat flour. The present study addresses the effect of accelerated ageing on the rheological properties of wheat flour produced by freshly harvested wheat. The process of accelerated aging was performed by three different factors including rise in wheat moisture content (16, 18 and 20% w/w), control of storage temperature (30, 40 and 50°C) and control of the storage time (2, 5 and 8 days) using a central composite design. After the grain milling, rheological properties of wheat flour of different treatments were studied. Results indicated that promoting the storage time to 8 days and temperature up to 40°C could improve rheological properties such as dough stability, dough development time and farinograph quality number. This phenomenon may be due to oxidation and rearrangement of disulfide bonds resulting in increasing strength and improving flour quality. Increasing moisture content and storing in higher temperatures resulted in weakening rheological properties.