Effect of Mixing Time on Properties of Whole Wheat Flour-Based Cookie Doughs and Cookies

Somali Dhal; Arfat Anis; Hamid M Shaikh; Abdullah Alhamidi; Kunal Pal

doi:10.3390/foods12050941

Effect of Mixing Time on Properties of Whole Wheat Flour-Based Cookie Doughs and Cookies

Foods. 2023 Feb 22;12(5):941. doi: 10.3390/foods12050941.

Authors

Somali Dhal¹, Arfat Anis², Hamid M Shaikh², Abdullah Alhamidi², Kunal Pal¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Biotechnology and Medical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Rourkela, Rourkela 769008, India.
² SABIC Polymer Research Center (SPRC), Department of Chemical Engineering, King Saud University, P.O. Box 800, Riyadh 11421, Saudi Arabia.

Abstract

This study investigated if whole wheat flour-based cookie dough's physical properties were affected by mixing time (1 to 10 min). The cookie dough quality was assessed using texture (spreadability and stress relaxation), moisture content, and impedance analysis. The distributed components were better organized in dough mixed for 3 min when compared with the other times. The segmentation analysis of the dough micrographs suggested that higher mixing time resulted in the formation of water agglomeration. The infrared spectrum of the samples was analyzed based on the water populations, amide I region, and starch crystallinity. The analysis of the amide I region (1700-1600 cm^-1) suggested that β-turns and β-sheets were the dominating protein secondary structures in the dough matrix. Conversely, most samples' secondary structures (α-helices and random coil) were negligible or absent. MT3 dough exhibited the lowest impedance in the impedance tests. Test baking of the cookies from doughs mixed at different times was performed. There was no discernible change in appearance due to the change in the mixing time. Surface cracking was noticeable on all cookies, a trait often associated with cookies made with wheat flour that contributed to the impression of an uneven surface. There was not much variation in cookie size attributes. Cookies ranged in moisture content from 11 to 13.5%. MT5 (mixing time of 5 min) cookies demonstrated the strongest hydrogen bonding. Overall, it was observed that the cookies hardened as mixing time rose. The texture attributes of the MT5 cookies were more reproducible than the other cookie samples. In summary, it can be concluded that the whole wheat flour cookies prepared with a creaming time and mixing time of 5 min each resulted in good quality cookies. Therefore, this study evaluated the effect of mixing time on the physical and structural properties of the dough and, eventually, its impact on the baked product.

Keywords: cookie; dough; fracturability; mixing; spreadability; texture; whole wheat flour.

Grants and funding

This research was funded by Deputyship for Research and Innovation, Ministry of Education, Saudi Arabia, through project no. (IFKSURG-2-1369).