EFFECT OF KEY FACTORS ON MECHANICAL SHEETING CHARACTERISTICS OF CHAPATI DOUGH MADE FROM WHOLE WHEAT-FLOUR AND RESULTANT ATTA

Effect of different factors on the sheeting characteristics of dough, made from whole wheat flour and resultant atta was studied using the p izza making machine. Optimum consistency required for sheeting the dou gh was 60 and 110 sec for dough made from resultant atta and whole whe at flour, respectively. Clearance needed to get a circular shaped chap ati of 15 cm diam and 2 mm thickness was 3.6 and 1.8 mm in primary and secondary pair of rollers, respectively. Addition of salt (1.5%) to t he dough improved sheeting characteristics and also the shape of chapa ti. In contrast, inclusion of fat (4.0%) adversely affected sheeting c haracteristics, resulting in an oval-shaped chapati. Dough from result ant atta had better sheeting characteristics than that from whole whea t flour. The quality of chapati made by using mechanical sheeting comp ared well with that from hand-sheeted dough.