24 Nov What is yeast with reducing power?
Wheat quality is variable and conditions that of flour. Correctors have therefore proven necessary in helping to adjust the viscoelastic properties of flour formulations and remedy excess maturation in baker’s dough.
Of the flour treatment agents that can be used, yeast with reducing power has been found to be the most appropriate ingredient, since it naturally contains available glutathione, albeit generally in low doses.
The selection of certain strains and the development of specific fermentation processes have made it possible to propose yeasts with a sufficiently high reducing power to be termed functional.
To provide precise solutions to the specific constraints of millers and bakers, there is a broad array of biotech solutions available based on yeast with reducing power, developed via tests in baking applications and standardised for regular and stable effects.
In order to develop regular flours guaranteeing optimum dough extensibility and minimal excess dough maturation, the use of yeast with reducing power proves effective. For this reason, Lesaffre has developed yeasts with reducing power that can be adapted to the different processes and types of breadmaking. These yeasts provide a natural means of compensating for the problem of weak flours, and of correcting dough by making it more supple and relaxed under breadproduction and thereby increasing tolerance on automated production lines.
The effects are measurable at each stage in the breadmaking process, from mixing to processing. Furthermore, yeasts with reducing power have a positive impact on the sensorial properties of the finished product. Apart from facilitating the baker’s production process, the use of yeast with reducing power influences the aromatic potential of flour, as well as the aromas and flavours that develop during fermentation. They are not only preserved intact, but the addition of such yeast contributes to the development of a different sensorial profile from that of a dough without such an addition. In terms of the finished product, the reducing effect results in a greatly improved visual aesthetic: the crumb is dense in colour (cream) and the structure is well aerated.