Effect of mono-diglyceride and lecithin on dough rheological characteristics and quality of flat bread

Functional food additives such as surfactants are widely used to improve the quality of bread, but there is no information on the effect of these additives on dough rheological properties and the quality of Iranian flat breads. The effect of mono-diglyceride and lecithin on dough rheological characteristics and quality of "Taftoon", Iranian flat bread has been investigated. Data showed that the percent water absorption increased significantly with the addition of surfactants alone or in combination compared to the control. Overall, dough rheological characteristics and baking quality improved with the addition of the above-mentioned surfactants when compared to the control. They further retarded the rate of staling of Taftoon bread. Sensory evaluation of surfactant-applied Taftoon breads by panelists showed that these kinds of breads were better with regard to quality characteristics than control bread. (C) 2003 Swiss Society of Food Science and Technology. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.