Physicochemical behaviors of sugars, lipids, and gluten in short dough andbiscuit

The structure of short dough and biscuit has been characterized at a macros copic level (dimensions, bulk structure) and a microscopic level (starch da mage, protein aggregates, microstructure) by physical and biochemical metho ds. The baking process of short dough induces a large decrease of the produ ct bulk density from 1.26 to 0.42 (+/-0.01) g.cm(-3) for final biscuit, lea ding to a cellular solid with a thin colored surface and a porous inner str ucture. Proteins appear aggregated in biscuit when compared to short dough, whereas starch granules remain almost intact in biscuits. The components wh ich are involved in the cohesiveness of short dough and biscuit final struc ture have been identified. They suggest that short dough is a suspension of solid particles in a liquid phase being an emulsion of lipids in a concent rated sugar solution. The role of sugars in biscuit, structure suggest that biscuit structure is a composite matrix of protein aggregates, lipids and sugars, embedding starch granules.