POLYSACCHARIDE SUBSTITUTES FOR GLUTEN IN NON-WHEAT BREAD

Breads with a specific volume up to, and beyond, that of conventional wheat bread can be made with rice flour (which does not contain gluten ) by incorporation of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) and ispaghul a husk (isabgol) from Plantago ovata Forsk. Isabgol disperses to a fib rillar 'weak gel' network stable over the temperature range of proving (fermentation with yeast) and initial heating in the baking oven. Wea kening of the isabgol network at higher temperature is accompanied by thermal gelation of HPMC, so that the overall network strength (storag e modulus, G') remains virtually constant, and the gas-cell structure developed during proving is retained. Gelation of HPMC (and of methylc ellulose) involves two distinct processes which we suggest correspond to partial dissociation and subsequent aggregation of cellulosic 'bund les' present in the solution state at low temperature, a mechanism dir ectly analogous to the thermal gelation of globular proteins.