Some effects of oxygen on the mixing of bread doughs

An investigation into the nature of the bleaching observed in bread after mixing part of the dough as a batter in high‐speed machinery is described. The bleaching effect is attributed to the action of unsaturated‐fat oxidases and in particular to that of lipoxidase. The simultaneous improvement The words ‘improver’, ‘improvement’ and ‘improving agent’ are used throughout in the strictly technological sense. obtained under these conditions of mixing is found to be independent of lipoxidase action but dependent on free access of molecular oxygen to the dough. The presence of molecular oxygen is also necessary for the action of lipoxidase. Arising from this work, a process for making bread from unbleached untreated flour by mixing in an oxygen‐enriched atmosphere is briefly suggested.