On the Use of Conventional Dough Extension Tests in Characterising Flours for Dough Sheetability. I. Experiments

The Brabender Extensigraph is commonly used to measure dough strength by stretching a strand of dough until it tears. Data for extension and force are used to rate flours for strength, baking and processing qualities of doughs. The present study was carried out to examine how dough strength relates to dough sheetability. The latter was measured using an instrumented dough sheeter which provided data for dough thickness and roll-closing forces as a pad of dough was sheeted by passing back and forth through a set of rollers with reducing roll-gaps. Doughs were tested fresh and after 45 min of resting for a range of flours. The correlations between dough strength and dough sheetability were poor at all times. The roll forces were affected by dough thickness at each pass indicating dough elasticity affected dough stretchability. Doughs were found to become more elastic following resting. © 2016 by De Gruyter.