Potential use of exogenous lipases for DATEM replacement to modify the rheological and thermal properties of wheat flour dough

The effect of two lipases and DATEM at different concentrations on the rheological and thermal properties of white and whole wheat flour doughs was determined by farinograph, extensograph, texture analyzer and differential scanning calorimetry. Lipases provided similar or better results than that of DATEM on decreasing softening degree and stickiness, and increasing stability, maximum resistance to extension and hardness. Extensibility and energy did not change with lipases, but decreased with DATEM. Lipases and DATEM slightly modified the transition temperatures and enthalpies of ice-melting and starch gelatinization, but significantly increased the moisture and unfrozen water contents, and decreased the solid concentration in unfrozen water. The greatest effect of lipases was observed on decreasing the peak temperature and increasing the enthalpy of amylose–lipid complex dissociation. The changes in the rheological and thermal properties were almost independent of the concentration levels tested, and were mostly reduced when whole wheat flour was used. The improvement in the dough properties by lipases is possibly related to the in situ formation of surface active compounds from endogenous flour lipids. Presumably, these compounds are already located in the right positions in dough, where they might have higher interaction potentials than DATEM with the dough components.