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Cereal Chem. 76(5):734-742The cellular structure of bread crumb (crumb grain) is an important factor that contributes to the textural properties of fresh bread. The accuracy of a digital image analysis (DIA) system for crumb grain measurement was evaluated based on its capability to predict bread crumb density from directly computed structural parameters. Bread was prepared from representative flour samples of two different wheat classes, Canada Western Red Spring (CWRS) and Canada Prairie Spring (CPS). Dough mixing and proofing conditions were varied to manipulate loaf volume and crumb density. Sliced bread was subjected to DIA immediately after physical density measurement. Experiments were repeated for the same bread samples after drying to three different moisture contents. Five computed crumb grain parameters were assessed: crumb brightness, cell wall thickness (CWT), void fraction (VF), mean cell area, and crumb fineness (measured as number of cells/cm 2 ). Crumb density ranged from 0.088 to 0.252 g/cm 3 depending on proofing and mixing treatments, and was predominantly affected by the former. With increasing crumb density, bread crumb became brighter in appearance, mean cell size and CWT decreased, crumb fineness increased, and the VF decreased. Approximately 80% of the variation in fresh or dried crumb density could be predicted using a linear regression model with two variables, CWT and VF. Results indicated that DIA of directly computed crumb grain could accurately predict bread crumb density after images had been correctly classified into cells and background.

Cereal Chem. 78(1):1-7The objective of this study was to determine the effects of flour type, baking absorption, variation in sheeting, and dough proofing time on the density, crumb grain (visual texture), and mechanical properties (physical texture) of bread crumb. All response variables were measured on the same bread crumb specimens. Bread loaves were prepared by a short-time breadmaking process using four spring wheat flours of varying strength. After crumb density measurement, digital image analysis (DIA) was used to determine crumb grain properties including crumb brightness, cell size, cell wall thickness, and crumb uniformity. Tensile tests were performed on bone-shaped specimens cut from the same bread slices used for DIA to obtain values for Young's modulus, fracture stress, fracture strain, and fracture energy. Proof time had the most profound influence on the bread with substantial effects on loaf volume, crumb density, crumb brightness, and grain, as well as crumb mechanical properties. Increasing proof time resulted in higher loaf volume, lower crumb density and brightness, coarser crumb with fewer and larger cells with thicker cell walls, and weaker crumb tensile properties. Varying flour type also led to significant differences in most of the measured crumb parameters that appeared to correspond to differences in gluten strength among the flour samples. With increasing flour strength, there was a clear trend to increasing loaf volume, finer and more uniform crumb grain, and stronger and more extensible bread crumb. Increasing baking absorption had virtually no effect on crumb structure but significantly weakened crumb strength and increased fracture strain. In contrast, varying the number of sheeting passes had a minor effect on crumb cellular structure but no effect on mechanical properties. The experimental data were consistent with a cause-effect relationship between flour strength and the tensile strength of bread crumb arising as a result of stronger flours exhibiting greater resistance to gas cell coalescence, thereby having fewer crumb defects.