Studies on Frozen Dough Baking

The Effects of Sugar Esters with Various HLB Values

Abstract

The effects of commercial sugar esters of varying hydrophile-lipophile balances (HLB) on the baking properties of frozen dough were studied by test baking, gassing power, dough expansion and determination of tension of the surface membrane of doughs thawed after periods of storage in the frozen state. Loaf baked from a dough mixed with sugar ester (HLB 15) and thawed after fixed frozen storage exhibited better expansion and oven spring than did those from control dough or dough mixed with a suger ester with lower HLB. A suger ester with an HLB value of 15.0 was found to protect dough fron freeze damage in gassing power and dough expansion compared to those with lower HLB. It is suggested that these effects are the result of protecting yeast cells from freeze injury with their surface active properties and binding with wheat porteins to maintain extensibility and higher tension of the surface membrane, even after prolonged storage in the frozen state.