Effect of cassava starch structure on scalding of dough and baking expansion ability.

Fermented cassava products are important starchy food staples in South America. The quality of the products is affected by the baking expansion ability of the dough, which is in turn influenced by the starch fermentation process and drying method employed. We investigated the structural properties of cassava starch after different fermentation and drying treatments, and the effect of starch structure on scalding of dough and baking expansion ability. Fermentation combined with either exposure to sunlight or UV light treatment resulted in high cassava starch baking expansion. Moreover, we observed decreased crystallinity and increased disordered crystalline regions with lower molecular weight in the two types of starch-fermented combined with sunlight or UV light treatment-and both appeared to have a continuous network structure and polarized cross in scalded dough, which are conducive to holding gas and losing water, thus promoting high baking expansibility.