39C-7

P. FUSTIER¹, M. Michèle, and P. Jessica. (1) Food Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 3600 Casavant Blvd West, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC J2S 8E3, Canada

The soft wheat flour functionality for cookie production is influenced by the cookie process (wire-cut,rotary and laminated) and the ratio of the wheat fractions (patents and clears)blended in the flour milling process. This study was undertaken to assess the impact of the fractions alone or added in various ratios on the rheological properties of the dough and cookie characteristics for 3 processes. Eleven blends of the first and second patents and clear fractions obtained from the 1998 soft wheat crop (70% soft white/30% soft red from Ontario,Canada)were prepared according to a fractional factorial experimental design.The blend were incorporated into cookie formulations representing the wire-cut,rotary and laminated process. Rheological properties of the dough (stickiness,energy of extrusion,half time relaxation and index of consistency)and cookie characteristics (density,volume,surface and texture)were monitored. For the wire-cut cookie,the consistency index of the dough and cookie surface were the parameters which exhibited the highest differences among the blends .These parameters were particularly influenced by the clear fraction.The volume,density and firmness data also demonstate the impact of these fractions,but to a lesser extent.The measurements of the density and firmness of the cookie and the consistency index were negatively correlated with the surface and volume of the product. For the rotary process,the firmness,volume and density were the parameters the most modified by the addition of the fractions,suggesting that the fractions do not exert the same impact on the various cookie formulations and processes. With the laminated process,the data indicated that the consistency index and energy of extrusion of the dough and the surface and thickness of the product were the most influenced . Fluctuations encountered during cookie production such as the stickiness of the dough,the variability in the density,spread and texture of the cookies can be explained by the impact of these fractions.