Investigation of the suitability of Western and Southern Cape wheat flour for production of traditional South African steamed bread

Due to a lack of electrical ovens, it is often found that in the households of the lower-income communities, a home-made steamed bread is prepared in a saucepan on a gas cooker or an open fire. The requirements of flour used to produce high-quality steamed bread are poorly defined. The suitability of Western and Southern Cape wheat for steamed bread production was, therefore, investigated. A marked increase in the nutritive value of steamed bread was reported compared to that of conventionally baked bread, mainly due to the loss of available lysine during conventional baking. Samples of three spring wheat cultivars that were produced during the 1995 and 1996 seasons in the Western and Southern Cape were selected. Flour protein content of these samples varied between 8 and 16%. Flour protein content, Falling Number determinations, gluten content, Mixograph, Alveograph and Rheofermentometer measurements and the 10 g baking test were performed on each of the flours. Steamed and conventionally baked breads we...