GUELPH, ONTARIO, CANADA — Incorporating barley flour fraction rich in beta-glucan into bread frozen dough may preserve the dough’s rheological properties, according to a study appearing on-line Nov. 7 in the Journal of Food Science.

Researchers at the Guelph Food Research Centre and the University of Guelph used air-classified barley flour fraction that was about 25% beta-glucan. They observed three samples: one in which the barley flour fraction replaced 10% of the wheat flour, one in which the barley flour fraction replaced 10% of the wheat flour and that had 1.4% vital gluten, and one that served as a control dough.

The dough products were stored at minus 18 degrees Celsius (minus 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit) for eight weeks. Rheological properties were investigated weekly. Deterioration caused by frozen dough was less in the dough with barley flour fraction, which contained about 10% less freezable water and 9% more bound water compared to the control dough.