Improving the quality of gluten-free French bread

As the number of people with diagnosed coeliac disease increases, French researchers have dedicated themselves to improving the formulation of gluten-free French-style bread using hydrocolloids and flour or proteins from different sources.

The hydrocolloids used in the study were carboxymethylcellulose (CMC), guar gum, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), and xanthan gum. The substitutes used instead of gluten-containing ingredients were buckwheat flour, whole egg powder, and whey proteins.

The quality of the resulting bread was measured using a number of parameters including specific volume, dry matter of bread, crust color, crumb hardness, and gas cell size distribution.

Guar gum and HPMC were found to increase the specific volume, with bread made using guar gum also having similar colour characteristics to traditional French bread and the most heterogeneous cell size distribution. Hardness decreased with the addition of hydrocolloids, especially HPMC and guar.

Bread prepared with buckwheat flour had improved quality: an increased specific volume, a softer texture, colour characteristics, and gas-cell size distribution similar to French bread.

In conclusion, the study found that formulations using 1.9% guar gum (w/w, total flour basis) and 5% buckwheat flour had the quality attributes most like traditional French bread.

Reference: Mezaize et al. 2009 Journal of  Food Science. Vol 74(3) pp E140-46.