Studies on Wheat Starch and Wheat Flour Model Paste Systems

A Brabender Visco/amylo/Graph model VA‐V modified to accommodate higher torque was used to study gelatinization of wheat flour and wheat flour components in limited water concentration (solid concentration between 50.2 and 59.7%). Other solid ingredients in the mixture were sugar and molasses. Effect of ingredient variables (starch content of flour components, fraction of flour components or flour in the flour‐sugar mixture, and moisture contents of the mixture) and cooking variables (rpm of the cooker, temperature above the pasting temperature, and duration of cooking after reaching the pasting temperature) on maximum consistency and consistency of the paste at the end of cooking and moisture loss during cooking were investigated. Second order polynomial equations expressing relationships between ingredient and processing parameters are developed from the experimental results. Water content, flour content of solids, and starch content of flour all affect the consistency of the flour‐sugar‐water paste. The pasting temperature of starch or flour in sugar solution is a function of sugar concentration.