The physicochemical properties of starch can be modified by hydrothermal treatments, inducing changes of dough and final product properties. The effect of these treatments depends on the temperature, the starch-moisture ratio and the exposure time. The most used hydrothermal treatments applied on cereals and pseudocereals starches and flours are heat moisture treatment (HMT) and annealing (ANN). The differences between HMT and ANN consist of working temperatures and moisture content. In HMT the treatment temperature is above the gelatinization temperature, while in ANN it is comprised between the gelatinization temperature and the glass transition. This paper aims to summarize the influence of these thermal treatments on the starches (crystallinity, swelling and water absorption, thermal, gelatinization, pasting, retrogradation, and digestibility properties) and the impact on the rheological and textural characteristics of dough and final product. This review highlights the possibility to use modified starches and treated flours in food products development and to evaluate the effects of hydrothermal treatments on starch and flour functionality.
Keywords: annealing; dough characteristics; flour; heat moisture treatment; starch.