Identification of Key Textural Attributes of Arabic Bread and Their Application to the Assessment of Storage and Quality

Regression analysis of magnitude estimates of 9 manual attributes was utilized to identify the key textural traits of Arabic bread. Twelve samples of Arabic bread were sensorily evaluated for selected textural attributes as perceived by consumers prior to purchasing and during preparation of bread for consumption. The best triplet, average coefficient of determination (R2) of 0.901, for predicting the other textural attributes comprised the force required to initiate tearing, the degree to which the sample extends before rupturing and the pliability of samples. The magnitude of these attributes decreased significantly (p < 0.05) upon storage and exhibited marked variations with differences in quality of Arabic bread. Pliability, resistance to tearing and the degree to which the sample extends before rupturing are adequate for following the rate of staling and for ascertaining differences in quality in this class of baked products.