Production of Pita Bread with Hard White and Other U.S. Wheats

Fifteen samples of U.S. wheats (hard white winter, hard red winter, hard white spring and soft white winter) were milled to flour of 80% extraction and made into pita bread (two-layered, flat bread). The best quality product was obtained from flour samples of 9.5 to 12.0 g/100 g protein. Extremes in protein content adversely influenced the product quality. The flour (80% extraction) quality data and individual scores of bread quality were subjected to correlation and stepwise regression analyses. The latter identified the flour quality characteristics that influenced the individual and overall bread scores. The total score of pita bread was found to be influenced by the quadratic function of starch relative viscosity measured by the rapid visco-analyser.