Bread:

Modernization of a Traditional
Food

Biotechnology
Definition:The use of microorganisms, such
as bacteria or yeasts, or biological
substances, such as enzymes, to perform
specific industrial or manufacturing
processes.
Applications include the production of
certain drugs, synthetic hormones, and bulk
foodstuffs as well as the bioconversion of
organic waste and the use of genetically
altered bacteria in the cleanup of oil spills.

The beginnings
By natural evolution
wheat (Triticum spp)
appears and its seeds
where picked and
consumed by humans
Domestication of wild
grasses
Bigger seeds
Resistance to shatter

The beinnings
Why Wheat?
- Globally, wheat is the leading source
of vegetable protein in human food
- The single grains which contain
gluten able to retain gasses
- Important source of different nutrients
in human diet (protein, carbohydrates,
minerals, vitamins)

The beginnings
9600 8600 BC first archaeological
traces of wheat cultivars in Near
East (The journey start with einkorn
and emmer wheat)
6500BCE - Greece, Cyprus and India
6000BCE - Egypt
5000BCE - Germany and Spain
3000BCE - British Isles and
Scandinavia
1000 BCE - China

1350 BCE at Assiros in Greek Macedonia The first identifiable bread wheat (Triticum
aestivum) with sufficient gluten for yeasted
breads has been identified using DNA
analysis
Wheat: third most-produced cereal after
maize million and rice
With rice, wheat is the world's most
favoured staple food

Nutrition facts:
100 grams of wheat
provides 327 calories
an excellent source (more than 19% of the Daily
Value, DV) of multiple essential nutrients, such as
protein, dietary fibre, manganese, phosphorus
and niacin. Several B vitamins and other dietary
minerals are in significant content
71% carbohydrates, 1.5% fat and 13% PROTEIN.
Globally, wheat is the leading source of
vegetable protein in human food

The journey from seeds to bread

Consumption of raw seeds
Consumption of crushed seeds and boiled
(porridge)
Preparation of some flat unleavened bread
around 4000 BC, Babylon, primitive ovens
Preparation of leavened bread
(Egyptian bakers made more than 50 different
types of cakes, unleavened breads, and breads
leavened with beer foam or with sourdough;
developing of oven)

The journey from seeds to bread

A large bakery, capable of producing enough
bread to feed more than 15,000 workers per day,
was discovered within sight of the Great Pyramids
Skilled Greek bakers have made at least 72
different varieties of bread (fine white bread,
cheese breads, barley and rye breads, breads
flavoured with honey or anise, which might also be
decorated with poppy or sesame seeds . They also
made biscuits, cheese and honey cakes, and a
variety of fruit-filled pastries
The Greeks improved the Egyptian oven

Bread must be
aerated
Yeast produce gases
by alcoholic
fermentation
Gases are retained by
gluten

Dough the most important stage

Gluten
developing during kneading from wheat
proteins
Mechanical, colloidal and biochemical
maturation
Role
Form films which trap GASSES
Allow the shaping of dough loaves
Maintain the form of loaves

Dough the most important stage

Gas production in the dough
Fermentation of sugars from dough
(wheat flour) and transformation in gases

C6H12O6 -> 2 C2H5OH + 2 CO2

Glucose,
fructose,
sucrose,
maltose

Dough the most important stage

Gas production
Alcoholic fermentation by yeast
The most common yeast
Saccharomyces cerevisiae different
strain
Other yeast could be used:
Kluyveromyces marxianus (K. fragilis),
Saccharomyces exiguus, Candida krusei,
Candida milleri, Pichia anomala

Fermentation back in history

Modern baking high amount of yeast are used due the low price;
traditional baking use low amount of yeast (high price, sponge
method)
1883 Emile Hansen from Carlsberg laboratory introduced pure
culture technique that improved the quality of yeast
first compressed yeast using filter press around 1867
Pasteur, 1860 state that alcoholic fermentation is a process
correlated with the life and organization of yeast cells
1780 Dutch distillers put in market first baker yeast specially
designed for bread
1000 BC Egyptians and Greeks used yeast from beer to make bread
2000 years BC Egyptians and Babylonians knew how to make and
use sour dough

What are sourdough

Dough fermented with strains of yeast and
lactic acid bacteria (LAB) from the surface
of bread
No isolation of yeast or LAB was possible
Dough is an ecosystems where
microorganism interact
The sourdough technology survive during
the modern times in small traditional bakery

Sourdough
Yeast species: Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces
exiguus (ca i Candida holmii), Candida krusei, Candida
milleri, Pichia anomala (ca i Hansenula anomala),
Saturnispora saitoi, Pichia norvengensis i Hansenula
anomala, Torulopsis holmii, Candida stellata, Torulopsis
delbreckii, Saccharomyces inusitatus

LAB:Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis, Lactobacillus pontis,

Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus brevis Lactobacillus
panis, Lactobacillus pontis, Lactobacillus reuteri,
Lactobacillus johnsonii, Lactobacillus sanfranciscensis,
Lactobacillus fermentum, Lactobacillus delbrueckii,
Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactococcus lactis, Lactobacillus
brevis, Lactobacillus amylovorus

YEAST / LAB
Symbiosis
they reduce pH and dominate together the dough
Yeast produce vitamins, peptides and aa which
stimulate LAB
LAB produce lactic acid which lower pH and
Inhibe many microorganism
LAB produce antibiotics antifungic
Concurrence for the substrate
Metabiosis L. sanfranciscensis eliberate maltose
for Candida milleri

Modern bread
White from white flour, deprived of many
nutrients
With high specific volume
high quality gluten,
many additives (oxidants, enzymes)
high amount of yeast.
Long term freshness additives (emulsifiers),
enzymes;
Long term preservation additives (preservatives);
Low cost short fermentation (no specific taste)

Current trend - Agriculture

Modern bakers need stronger flour:
Agriculture produce new variety with
improved protein content and quality
Biotechnology modify current species
to produce protein with improved
functionality

Current trend - Technology

Gluten devlopment
New powerful and more efficient kneaders

Current trend - Technology

Enzymes are used at large scale to replace
chemicals
Selection of microorganisms
Yeast
LAB

Current trend - Biotechnology

Enzymes from different organisms are tested and
introduce (high temperature tolerance and pH) (frozen
dough, crumb freshness)
Microorganism (Bacillus subtilis) are manipulated to
produce desired enzymes
Improved enzymes are produced by proteins
manipulation
New enzymes are produced by combinations (chimera)

Current trend in modernisation - Biotechnology

Manipulation of yeast to become more

efficient
To produce enzymes (amylases, xylanases,
proteases, phytases)

Current trend - Nutrition

Nutritional improvment (people are more
interested about the healthiness of theirs
food):
Bran addition;
Whole flour use:
Other cereal (oat, rye, barley, sorghum)
Pseudo cereals (amaranth, quinoa,
millet, buckwheat)
Vitamins and minerals (mandatory or
voluntary)

Current trend - Safety

Nutritional improvment reduction of
additives in food
Replacing of chemical improvers with
enzymes
Innovation of technology
Replacing of preservatives with other
method of preservation

Current trends - Nutrition

People eat less bread
Bread could become more attractive
FUNCTIONAL FOOD
Fibre (obesity, antitumor, hearth
disease, diabetes)
Antioxidants
omega-3 fatty acids

Old solution for new problems - Sourdough

Increase digestibly of proteins and reduce the
stress caused by gluten in celiac disease
Reduce the adsorption rate of carbohydrates
Increase de bioavailability of minerals
Increased the antioxidant activity
Reduce the formation of acrylamide during
baking
Increased the shelf life through inhibiting of
moulds and other microorganisms
Improved the taste

Personal works
Sorghum in bread
Fibre
Antioxidants (phenolic
compounds, tannins, antocyans)
Sourdough for maximisation of
bioavailability

Personal works
Low calories bread - Inclusion o different
fibres
The production of sourdough wild type