Analyzing Twin Sigma Mixing Curves: Reliability for Characterizing Strong Wheat Flour Properties

Background and Objectives The standard Farinograph protocol with mixing speed of 63 rpm presents challenges in identifying the dough development time (DDT) of strong wheat flours due to flat mixing curves or double peaks. This study illustrated these issues on strong and very strong flours representing several mixing curve shapes and highlighted how high‐speed mixing can improve peak detection. Findings Standard mixing speed at 63 rpm resulted in misidentification of DDT because of an early peak in one of the strong flours, and unreliable and inconsistent peak detection across instruments due to double peaks in another. Mixing at 120 rpm produced curves with well‐defined peaks, resulting in consistent DDT ranking across multiple instruments with twin sigma mixing blades that aligned with known gluten strength. Conclusions Mixing at 63 rpm is insufficient for reliable peak detection in flours with strong and very strong gluten properties. Mixing at 120 rpm provides more reliable DDT determination. Significance and Novelty This study provides specific examples of challenges in reliable DDT detection and emphasizes the need to revise current mixing protocols for strong flours. It demonstrates that high‐speed mixing can improve peak detection in flours with strong gluten properties.