ABSTRACT
Rheology of flatbread dough is an important factor influencing the ease of flatbread making as well as the product quality. Measurement of dough characteristics and rheological properties are vital, particularly in case of large-scale mechanised flatbread production and in new product development involving modifications in flatbread formulation and addition of one or more new ingredients. Study of dough rheology gives a clear picture of dough handling and machinability based on gluten strength, water absorption capacity, extensibility and so on. Fundamental and empirical methods having their own set of merits and demerits are employed for rheological measurements. This chapter enlists common empirical methods for rheological measurements such as farinograph, alveograph, amylograph, extensograph and mixograph. The importance and measurement of flatbread dough characteristics like water absorption, stickiness, spreadability, hardness and the microscopic study of dough is also described. Further, the influence of wheat variety, wheat constituents: gluten, starch and their interaction, added ingredients like fibres, cereals and legumes, special additives such as hydrocolloids, surfactants, enzymes and oxidising and reducing agents and dough preparation method on dough rheology is explained.
