INFLUENCE OF THE PARTICLE SIZE AND THE TYPE OF GRAIN OF RICE ON STRUCTURAL AND MECHANICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SPONGE CAKE MADE FROM RICE FLOUR
The market of gluten-free products considerably increases every year. However consumer characteristics of those products considerably differ even in each separate group of products. The authors have conducted an applied study of gluten-free raw materials to obtain additional information on influence of the size of particles of the rice flour produced from various types of grain of rice on quality of a sponge cake. Distinctions in rheological properties of sponge cakes made of long-grain and short-grain rice flour with a different level of fractionation as well as quality of the semi-finished products are studied. Because of longer starch gelatinization, in dough of small fractioned long-grain rice flour there are more air bubbles which leads to increase in specific volume of a sponge cake. The dough made of long-grain rice flour also demonstrates bigger specific volume than the one made of short-grain rice flour due to the bigger content of amylase which leads to bigger volume and less viscosity of the dough. Thus, it has been established that small fractions in rice flour allow baking sponge cakes with high specific volume and small, evenly distributed bubbles of air. Noticeable distinctions between rice types were also observed in viscosity indicators. Sponge cake dough made of long-grain rice flour of more than 74 micron fraction has the highest viscosity while dough made of short-grain rice flour with fractions more than 118 microns has the lowest indicator. Thereof confectionary enterprises should take into account the size of flour particles to receive a product with characteristics needed.