Studies on composite bread: corn bread

Abstract

Bread was prepared with composite flour containing 20% maize meal or maize flour. Maize meal with particle size 439µ gave heavy loaves with specific volume of 2.5. Maize flour with much finer particles 129µ however, gave acceptable loaves with 3.5cc/g specific volume. The effect of various additives on the quality of corn bread was studied. 0.5% diastatic malt flour was found to improve the volume and other characteristics extensively (sp. vol. 4.3cc/g). Both soya flour and Agushie flour, which are vegetable protein sources, depressed the volume slightly. 1.0% Emplex (Sodium Stearoyl 2 - Lactylate) had a marked effect on the quality of corn bread. The volume was comparable to that of 100% wheat bread (sp. vol.5.0cc/g). This emulsifier also improved the colour and texture of corn bread. It was observed that corn bread became stale after 30 hours. This resulted in the bread becoming dry and very crumbly despite the addition of 2% hardened fat. Here again, the use of 1.0% Emplex in place of hardened fat improved the quality of bread by retarding staleness and thus suppressing crumbliness