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Methods for controlling bread staling

Release time:

2016-02-27

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Abstract

Both hot and frozen storage can prevent the staling of bread products and extend their shelf life. Continuously heating bread products to maintain a higher temperature, such as 40-60℃ or slightly lower, keeps them soft for a longer time, especially useful in cold winter weather. However, high temperatures can easily lead to mold and spoilage, as well as loss of moisture and aroma. Freezing is another method; the temperature must be lowered to -20℃ or below to prevent rapid staling, and the freezing and thawing speeds cannot be too slow. This method is energy-intensive and, under current conditions, is not very cost-effective.

Several methods can be used to control bread staling and extend shelf life. These methods only prolong the bread's preservation period, preventing rapid staling.

I. Temperature Adjustment

　　Both heat and freezing can prevent bread staling and extend shelf life. Continuously warming bread products to maintain a higher temperature, such as 40-60℃ or slightly lower, keeps the bread soft for a longer time, especially useful in cold winter weather. However, high temperatures can easily lead to mold and spoilage, and also cause loss of moisture and aroma. Freezing is another method; the temperature must be lowered to -20℃ or below to prevent rapid staling. The cooling and thawing speeds cannot be too slow. This method is energy-intensive and not very cost-effective under current conditions.

II. Packaging

　　Good packaging prevents moisture loss and maintains product appearance. Although packaging cannot inhibit staling caused by chemical changes, it helps bread retain softness and aroma longer compared to unpackaged bread. The ideal packaging temperature for bread products is 37-40℃; cooling should not be too rapid to prevent cracking. Using an electric fan for cooling is not recommended as it accelerates moisture evaporation.

III. Flour Selection

　　Bread made with high-gluten flour absorbs more water. Because of its high protein and low starch content, the bread has a larger volume and hardens more slowly, maintaining good quality. When using high-gluten flour, sufficient water is essential to aid gluten development. A high-speed mixer is also needed to ensure full gluten development.

IV. Bread Improvers and the Role of α-Amylase

　　Ordinary flour lacks the liquefying enzyme α-amylase. The amylase in bread improvers hydrolyzes some starch into dextrin during dough fermentation and the initial baking stage. This alters the starch structure, reducing starch retrogradation and extending bread staling time.

V. The Role of Emulsifiers

　　Monoglycerides are emulsifiers that have been widely used in bread for 40 years to reduce bread hardening and extend storage time. Their main function is to penetrate starch granules and bind to linear starch, forming a spiral structure. This prevents moisture from leaving the starch, retaining moisture. Because emulsifiers have low surface tension and high osmotic pressure, they emulsify the fats used in the dough, maximizing their surface area. This improves lubrication between gluten and starch, resulting in a finer network structure in the bread. Emulsifiers also prevent starch from mixing into the gluten, increasing gluten elasticity and extensibility, and increasing bread volume. Therefore, using emulsifiers is the most effective and simplest way to improve bread quality and extend storage time. A typical usage rate is 0.5%.

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