Relationship between thermomechanical properties and baking expansion of sour cassava starch (Polvilho azedo)

The factors involved in the baking expansion of native and sour cassava starch doughs were compared with those of native corn starch. Unlike corn starch dough, native and sour cassava starch doughs showed expansion properties during baking. The storage modulus E ′ decreased for cassava starch doughs before baking expansion, but remained unchanged for corn starch dough. Expansion during the baking of sour cassava starch was attributed to water vaporisation and the fluidity of starch paste. The fact that temperature and weight loss variations at adequate water contents were significantly greater for cassava than corn starch dough is indicative of the important role played by starch melting in expansion. Expansion ability could be correlated with changes in dough–crumb thermomechanical properties when close to the starch melting temperature. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry