EFFECT OF DOUGH PROPERTIES ON EXTRUSION-FORMED AND BAKED SNACKS

A number of snack products are produced by extrusion forming and then baking. However, there is little information in the scientific literat ure on the process. We found that dough mixing time, die shape, and po st-extrusion processing steps influenced the structure and the texture of the final product. The extent of product puffing during baking cou ld be controlled by reducing dough moisture content and the introducti on of a steaming step immediately after extrusion. Scanning electron m icroscopy analyses of the baked products showed that those produced fr om overmixed doughs possessed more highly aligned microstructure than did those produced from doughs mixed for short times.