Judie Giebel, technical sales representative, with the Wisconsin based manufacturer, Briess, said it aims in its enhancement of the functionality, savoury flavour, colour and texture of grains and starches to provide differentiation for bakery and snack manufacturers, and simultaneously meeting the demand for clean labelling with a natural product.
She told BakeryandSnacks.com that its roasted potato flour has application in baked chips and similar snack products as well as breads and rolls to increase natural colour and flavour: “In these baked goods the flour will increase the flavour and give the finished products a slightly yellowish tint resembling egg bread without the egg addition,” she said.
The supplier’s roasted potato flour is made by naturally heat treating potatoes in a roaster, and the flour is produced using a heat treatment process which damages the starch granules of the flour, allowing for higher moisture uptake, explained Giebel. “This results in softer dough which increases extensibility and allows for more expansion,” she added.
She said that the enhanced potato flavour and warm colour developed in the roasting process carries through into the finished product.
While no modification of bakery equipment is needed for incorporation of the flour into a line, continued Giebel, slight reformulation of recipes may be necessary to allow for the lower moisture and higher hydration capacity of the roasted flour compared to standard flour.
While potato flours can and are used in gluten free applications, Giebel said that they can not replace wheat flour and have the same functionality:
“Yet potato flour can be formulated in gluten free products along with other gums and specialty items to create a baked good similar to one made with wheat flour,” she said, adding that the flour will add flavour and colour to gluten free foods which have a tendency to be bland and pale.
The sales representative said that all Briess ingredients are available directly from the company or through its North American broker network.