Chinese researchers have published on Science and Technology of Food Industry journal (No. 21): 282-285, 2014, a work where they investigate the effect of inulin on dough and bread quality.
The rheological properties and baking properties of blends of wheat flour with inulin at different proportions were measured by brabender farinograph, extensograph, and TA, respectively. The water-absorbing capacity of dough was stable by increasing inulin proportion, but the development time and stability time increased. The extensibility parameters increased with prolonged proofing time, but the area under the curve, resistance to extension, maximum stretching resistance and extensibility increased at first, then decreased at last. Adding inulin can bring down the hardness and reduce the bread dehydration rate significantly, extending the bread shelf-life.
Sensory evaluations revealed that inulin can be added to flour at the level of 6%, without causing deterioration of the bread sensory properties.
