Acorn and water interactions on the microstructure of gluten‐free yeasted dough

Gluten‐free doughs were prepared by replacing part of a dry mixture of rice flour and corn starch with acorn meal (5%–25%) at different levels of water (65%–75%). The changes in dough microstructure were investigated using of X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier‐transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), and Scanning electron microscopy, whereas the physicochemical properties by hydration tests. There were significant differences in physicochemical properties such as water‐absorbing and water solubility depending on the flour mixture composition. XRD and DSC results showed that the higher the acorn meal level, the lower the crystallinity, and the higher the gelation enthalpy. FTIR revealed that at the highest level of acorn meal used for preparing gluten‐free doughs, a higher intramolecular hydrogen bonding involving starch was noticed. It is concluded that combining water and acorn meal in the recipe enables manipulation of dough performance. Novelty impact statement Both acorn and water level significantly affect the microstructure of the resulted gluten‐free dough. A guiding insight was provided in order to understand the variations in microstructural changes acorn meal and water content manipulation that could help to make the right decision to produce tailor‐made gluten‐free breads.