Investigations into Flour Mixes of Triticum Monococcum and Triticum Spelta

Abstract

Bread samples were made using flour mixes of Triticum monococcum (Tr. monococcum) and Triticum spelta (Tr. spelta). They were tested for their rheological behaviour over the first 3 days of storage at room temperature, and for their characteristics based on a Hungarian Standard. Parameters were set such as the volume of the baked product, baking loss, crumb characteristics and elasticity of crumbs. The behaviour of flour from einkorn wheat is different to that of Tr. spelta. The properties of the tested flour mixes measured by a farinograph show that Tr. spelta produces an acceptable dough, on the other hand, the dough of Tr. monococcum develops quickly but is very unstable so weakens within minutes of being kneaded. This also suggests that doughs composed of einkorn wheat flour require a different type of kneading than those of Tr. spelta (or Tr. aestivum, also referred to as common wheat) flours. Breads composed of Tr. spelta were comparable with those made with Tr. aestivum, the crumb elasticity was above 90 % on the day of baking, which indicates high quality. The Tr. monococcum breads, however, were of low grade: the volume of the breads decreased by increasing the ratio of Tr. monococcum to Tr. spelta and the elasticity reduced to unacceptable levels (less than 60 %). It should be mentioned that the grading was based on breads made purely from Tr. aestivum flours.