Rapid tests to evaluate the baking potential of 25 edible dry bean powders

The use of a baking test is a common method to evaluate suitability of wheat flours for production of high quality cookies, however the test is time consuming. The possibility of correlating target quality parameters of cookies with time-saving techniques utilized to evaluate wheat flour, but also suitable with non-wheat flours, is of great interest. The objective of this study was to investigate correlations among rapid test indices [i.e., water and lactic acid retention capacities, oil binding capacity, and Rapid Visco Analyzer (RVA) indices] of bean powder blends and nutritional, geometrical and textural properties of bean-cookies. Bean powders of 25 edible dry bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) varieties were investigated in order to understand the effects of bean genotype on cookie quality parameters. As powder particle size implicates a different surface contact area with the solvent, all dry beans were ground in order to be of similar particle size (≤ 0.5 mm). Baking potential varied greatly among bean genotype: cookie protein and resistant starch contents ranged from 7.7 to 10.2% and from 9.4 to 17.9%, respectively; cookie thickness and fracture strength ranged from 0.93 to 1.17 cm and from 87 to 226 kPa, respectively. Water retention capacity values were significantly (p < 0.05) correlated with cookie protein content and hardness (r = 0.49 and r = 0.42, respectively), while oil binding capacity values were correlated with rapidly digestible starch values (r = 0.55, p < 0.005). RVA-indices were not correlated with bean-cookie properties. Results of this research have demonstrated that some rapid test indices can be used to partially design bean cookie features and that bean genotype has a significant effect on cookie nutritional composition as well as geometrical and textural properties. Outcomes of this research can guide the making of value-added bean cookies.