Effect of water content and storage time on white pan bread quality: instrumental evaluation.

The firmness of white pan bread was measured using compression and bending tests to determine the influence of the water content of the dough on bread quality and on the changes taking place with storage time. Three sample breads were prepared using different flours and three different water contents, and firmness was tested at 24, 48 and 72 h. For gluten-enriched flours, higher water contents tended to bring about a decrease in compression force and bending values, improving shelf-life by reducing the increase in firmness over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]