A Fresh Perspective on Staling: The Significance of Starch Recrystallization on the Firming of Bread

Storage stability of standard white bread (SWB) and Meal, Ready‐to‐Eat (MRE) breads were studied in terms of texture firming, amylopectin recrystallization, and water relations. SWB showed a more rapid increase in firmness during storage mainly due to the loss of moisture to the crust and surrounding environment. The MRE, a long shelf‐life military bread, firmed much slower due to the moisture loss inhibition (hermetic pouch) and plasticization (by formulation). This work confirmed previous findings that in some cases, firming of a bread can be strongly influenced by factors other than amylopectin crystallization. This is possible through controlling changes in the amorphous domains earlier described from thermomechanical studies.