Functionality of rice and sorghum flours in baked tortilla and corn chips

The effects of raw and gelatinized sorghum and rice flours on the structure and texture of baked corn and tortilla chips were evaluated; Dry masa flou r was hydrated into masa, sheeted, and cut. Corn chips were baked in an air -impingement oven, and tortilla chips were baked first in a three-tier oven and then in an air-impingement oven. Baked tortilla chips required signifi cantly greater force to break and were less susceptible to breakage during handling than baked corn chips. Raw and gelatinized, normal and waxy rice a nd sorghum flours significantly changed the texture and structure of baked chips. Waxy rice and sorghum flours reduced peak force and work, increased chip thickness, and improved overall acceptability las assessed by a taste panel), but waxy rice and sorghum chips were more fragile and had a greater number of large central gir cells. Waxy rice was more beneficial than waxy sorghum flour. Gelatinization of waxy flours increased thickness of baked chips, whereas gelatinization of nonwaxy flours had no improvement over wax y flours alone. Gelatinization of sorghum flour significantly decreased the peak force and work values for baked tortilla chips when compared with the control chips. Gelatinized rice flour tortilla chips were not significantl y different than the control chips but were significantly harder than the o ther baked tortilla chips. The complex interactions that occur in baked cor n and baked tortilla chips suggest that each ingredient acts differently in the two products. Thus, each ingredient must be evaluated for specific pro ducts and processes.