A fresh perspective on staling: The significance of starch recrystallization on the firming of bread

Storage stability of standard white bread (SWB) and Meal, Ready-to-Eat (MRE) breads were studied in terms of texture firming, amylopectin recrystallization, and water relations. SWB showed a more rapid increase in firmness during storage mainly due to the loss of moisture to the crust and surrounding environment. The MRE, a long shelf-life military bread, firmed much slower due to the moisture loss inhibition (hermetic pouch) and plasticization (by formulation). This work confirmed previous findings that in some cases, firming of a bread can be strongly influenced by factors other than amylopectin crystallization. This is possible through controlling changes in the amorphous domains earlier described from thermomechanical studies.