THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SOME FLOUR QUALITY PARAMETERS AS QUALITY PREDICTORS OF BREAD

The purpose of the present research has been the highlighting of the correlation between the protein content, the wet gluten content and the gluten index of flours, and some characteristics of bread, such as volume and the ratio height / diameter (H / D). In this respect, were analysed 19 samples of flour obtained from Romanian wheat, determining the protein content, wet gluten content and gluten index. At the same time were carried out baking tests corresponding to the 19 loaves of bread and were determined the parameters volume and the height / diameter ratio (H /D). The results showed that the best predictor for the bread quality parameters: volume and H / D ratio, is the gluten fraction of the gluten index parameter which remains on the sieve (highly significant positive correlation r = 0.79***, respectively r = 0.73***). Gluten index parameter correlates insignificantly with bread volume (r = 0.18) and significantly with the height / diameter ratio (0.51*). In conclusion, the parameter Gluten index itself, is not relevant for the baking qualities of flour; these quality parameters could be better predicted by remaining fraction of gluten on the sieve.