The three mixes – TopBake Quinoa, TopSweet Quinoa Poundcake and TopSweet Quinoa Cupcake – can be used with 10% quinoa flour, thanks to enzyme blends that stabilize the lack of gluten.
A level of 10% quinoa flour (dry weight) is recommended in order to maintain favorable taste and functionality, said Martina Mollenhauer, product manager at DeutscheBack.
“Because quinoa has no gluten it will destroy the structure of the bread… If you go higher than 10% of gluten removal, you have to start working with hydrocolloids, fibers and additives – you need other ingredients to stabilize the dough. But with 10% of quinoa, you can adjust this with just enzymes,” Mollenhauer told BakeryandSnacks.com.
“It’s a matter of labeling – you have a shorter ingredients list with enzymes,” she added.
Europeans unfamiliar with the taste
Mollenhauer also said that use of quinoa at a level of 10% ensured taste impact was minimal.
“For Europeans, quinoa has a typically strong taste because they are not familiar with it. We had the feeling that 20% would influence the taste too much,” she said.
“Quinoa is a bit bitter with a nutty flavor, a little bit like earth. It’s a very special flavor,” she added.
Nutritional value should appeal
The nutritional value of the crop also holds appeal, Mollenhauer said. “It’s the only plant where you can find all essential amino acids… The protein content lies between 14 and 20% depending on the strain, which is relatively high.”
It is also rich in vitamins and minerals, she added. “I guess 10% quinoa will help the overall nutritional content of the baked good… If you have 20% protein in the flour it compare to around 12% in regular wheat flour.”
Costly, but new and exciting…
Quinoa does cost more than regular wheat flour, Mollenhauer said, so for the meantime the baked goods incorporating quinoa would remain fairly specialist.
“Bakers who want to make their product ranges more interesting may look into using it,” she said.
Particularly in Europe, she said the use of quinoa in baked goods would be something very new and exciting for consumers.
In Latin America – the other target market – consumers are more familiar with quinoa, she said, which would lower the hurdle for initial acceptance and use in the bakery sector.
Mollenhauer added that Asia could also be a potential market interested in using quinoa in baked goods, particularly given the rising population and incomes.
DeutscheBack – part of the Stern-Wywiol Group – developed the range in light of the UN’s naming of 2013 as the International Year of Quinoa.