Recent practical researches in the development of gluten-free breads

Abstract

Wheat bread is consumed globally and has played a critical role in the story of civilization since the development of agriculture. While the aroma and flavor of this staple food continue to delight and satisfy most people, some individuals have a specific allergy to wheat or a genetic disposition to celiac disease. To improve the quality of life of these patients from a dietary standpoint, food-processing researchers have been seeking to develop high-quality gluten-free bread. As the quality of wheat breads depends largely on the viscoelastic properties of gluten, various ingredients have been employed to simulate its effects, such as hydrocolloids, transglutaminase, and proteases. Recent attempts have included the use of redox regulation as well as particle-stabilized foam. In this short review, we introduce the ongoing advancements in the development of gluten-free bread, by our laboratory as well as others, focusing mainly on rice-based breads. The social and scientific contexts of these efforts are also mentioned.

Keywords: Nutrition; Technology.

Fig. 1

Comparison of the swelling mechanism (a) and appearance (b) of fermenting wheat dough and additive-free, gluten-free (GF) rice batter

Fig. 2

Explanatory figure of particle emulsion/foam. Adapted from refs. ^,. Scale bar: 30 µm. Copyright (2017), with permission from Elsevier

Fig. 3

Summary of the procedures for making additive-free rice bread and “cooking tips” for each step. Adapted from ref., with permission

Fig. 4

a Water/tetradecane emulsions formed by starch granules at different rice flour concentrations. From left to right: control (no flour), addition of rice flour with low-starch damage (20% w/w, 50% w/w), as well as high-starch damage (20% w/w, 50% w/w). b Optical microscopic analyses of the emulsion. Rice flour with low- (LD) and high- (HD) starch damage was compared. Adapted from ref. Scale bar: 100 µm for ×100, and 30 µm for ×400, respectively. Copyright (2017), with permission from Elsevier