Effect of Gluten Powder on the Quality of Fresh Spaghetti Made with Farina

The objective of this study was to improve the quality of fresh spaghetti made from ordinary wheat flour using gluten powder at different levels (0.0, 0.5, 1.5 and 3.0%, w/w, flour basis). The spaghetti dough was evaluated by a Brabender Farinograph. The results indicated that with increasing the gluten level, peak, stability time and consistency of the dough increased. The results of creep test (carried out using a Texture Analyser) showed that with increasing the gluten content, elasticity of the dough increased while its viscosity decreased. Increasing the gluten level reduced the cooking loss and increased the water absorption of the samples cooked in distilled or salted water (2% NaCl). The hardness and the color of the uncooked and cooked spaghettis improved with increasing the gluten content. The sample containing 3% gluten powder cooked in salted water received the highest score for its sensory attributes.