Flour Treatment : Emulsifiers
3. Emulsifier Complexes
In many cases it is possible to enhance the properties of an
emulsifier by combining it with another emulsifier. An example of this is the
mono- and diglycerides, that achieve their optimum suitability for use in flour
treatment through combination with lecithin. The lecithin improves their
solubility and dispersion, and clearly their interaction with constituents of
the flour as well. Well-known and widely used organic flour improvers fall into
this category. The combination makes it possible to reduce the dose necessary
for optimum effect to 100 - 300 g with 50% emulsifier in the complex.
Diacetyl tartaric esters of mono- and diglycerides are also receptive
to enhancement with lecithin: the addition of as little as 10% lecithin
improves their emulsifying effect and also reduces the vinegar smell. The above
combinations are only effective if the emulsifiers are mixed before being
converted into their powdered form. Interestingly, it is not sufficient just to
mix the individual powdered components.
4. Diacetyl Tartaric Acid Esters
of Mono- and Diglycerides (DATEM)
One very effective group of emulsifiers in respect of volume yield is
mono- and diglycerides of edible fats esterified with mono- and diacetyl
tartaric acid. DATEM is a heterogeneous mixture of molecules derived from
esterification of acetic acid, tartaric acid and fatty acids (bound to
glycerol). Some of the resulting emulsifier molecules are more active than others.
The structures shown in Fig. 131 were the most efficient in bread baking trials
(Köhler, 1999). Both molecules were derived from glycerol monostearate. But
most probably the other molecules do have a co-emulsifying effect, which means
that the mix is more effective than a single, purified emulsifier. DATEM is one
of the main constituents of most baking improvers, especially when the aim is
to produce voluminous baked goods with a crisp crust. DATEM is not often used
in flour treatment; its main application is in bread improvers utilized in
bakeries. The optimum dose is about 300 - 400 g to 100 kg, but for reasons of
cost the dosage is often reduced to as little as 150 g.
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| Fig. 131: Hypothetical structure of the most baking-active components
of DATEM |
5. Sodium and Calcium Stearoyllactylate
(SSL and CSL)
These emulsifiers are made from the fatty acid stearic acid esterified
with a double ester of lactic acid. The remarks concerning DATEM also apply to
these, but with the difference that SSL and CSL are especially suitable for
baked goods with a soft crust. Furthermore, they have a better effect on the
retention of crumb softness.
6. Other Emulsifiers
Tab. 92 summarizes the emulsifiers suggested for baking. Sucrose
esters seem to be interesting since they are produced in a wide range of HLB
(hydrophilic or lipophilic). The high-HLB variants, especially, have a good
effect on volume yield and crumb structure at quite low dosages, but the price
is still much higher than that of conventional baking emulsifiers.
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| Tab. 92: Suggested emulsifiers with potential use in baking applications |
