RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF SHORT DOUGHS AT SMALL DEFORMATION

The rheological properties of short doughs of various composition were determined in dynamic shear experiments at small deformation. Regardl ess of composition, the linear region was very limited; beyond it sign ificant structure breakdown occurred. Furthermore, an increase in stor age modulus was invariably observed in time-sweep experiments. In addi tion to oscillatory experiments, conductimetry was used to evaluate sh ort doughs with different fat types and fat content. Short doughs show ed differences in mechanical spectra and in conductivity, depending on fat content and fat type. These results are considered in terms of th e structure of short doughs. It is concluded that short doughs are bic ontinuous systems; reducing the fat content or changing its rheologica l properties relative to those of the non-fat phase results in fat-dis persed systems. At small deformation, the rheological properties of th e non-fat phase are largely determined by flour/starch particles. (C) 1997 Academic Press Limited.