Texture Evaluation of Dough

The Application

Hardness/firmness of biscuit dough.

Problem

A processor of dough wanted to see if different batches of dough were consistent or different in texture and if they were different, by how much. Therefore, they needed a repeatable, objective and quantifiable tool to measure the texture.

Solution

Testing was performed with a TMS-Pro Texture Analyzer, a 250N load cell and 12.7mm diameter cylinder probe. The processor sent us 2 batches labeled “Batch A” and “Batch B”. The biscuit dough was placed on the standard fixture table directly under the probe. The test program was written to start with zeroing out load and displacement, running down until detecting top of the dough (because the biscuits were different heights), then running down into the product 5mm at 200mm/min and then returning to zero. Three samples from each batch product were taken and the graph to the right demonstrates there is indeed a difference between the two batches. Batch A is firmer and stickier than Batch B. The stickiness is indicated by the negative force value which is the product sticking to the probe as it retracts at the end of the test.

Conclusion

The TMS-Pro texture analyzer system along with this test method proved to detect the differences among the two batches and now the processor has a repeatable and quantifiable method to measure the texture of all their batches moving forward.