Analysis of the Relationship between Various Soft Wheat Flour Characteristics and Cookie Quality

The relationship between soft wheat flour characteristics and sugar snap cookie (SSC) quality was analyzed using SSC diameter (SSCD) as an indicator of SSC quality. Various flour streams (flours), obtained by milling four kinds of soft wheat (Western White and three Japanese domestic wheats) with different characteristics, were used. The results showed that the soft wheat flour characteristics that greatly affected SSCD were damaged starch (DSC), amylose (AC) and protein contents (PC). SSCD showed a significantly higher correlation with DSC than AC and PC; the correlation coefficients were −0.938, 0.644 and −0.552, respectively. Based on the results, stepwise multiple regression analyses were performed, and a multiple regression model with DSC, AC and PC as explanatory variables was obtained. The model can be used to accurately estimate SSCD (corrected R2 = 0.915, standard error of residual = 2.22 (mm)). This model was effective as a means to estimate the SSC quality of various weak flours easily and accurately.