About the use of different sweeteners in baked goods. Influence on the mechanical and rheological properties of the doughs

Food industries express a growing interest in sucrose substitutes to be used in low-sugar products. However, when the sugar content is changed, food rheology and texture may be negatively affected. The aim of this study was the evaluation of the effects of the presence of different sweeteners on the mechanical and rheological properties of doughs for sweet baked goods. Different “croissant-type” formulations without sweeteners or containing, as alternatives, sucrose, fructose, or sucralose were investigated. The structure of the doughs was evaluated by means of different techniques able to describe the intrinsic properties of the material and to predict its behavior in a real process. Both empirical (farinographic test, dynamometric measurements) and fundamental rheological tests (dynamic oscillatory measurements) were performed. Generally, the dough containing sucralose showed mechanical and rheological properties very similar to those of the dough produced with no added sugars: they resulted firmer, more resistant to tensile forces and less viscous than the doughs containing sucrose or fructose.