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Bread has been eaten by man since 8000 BC. Bread is not only eaten for nutritional aspects, but also because it is largely enjoyed. The key to its success is its aerated texture, created by the gas bubbles held in the gluten starch matrix. The gas bubbles vary in shape, size, distribution and quantity, and there is an optimum for each variable depending on the type of bread. Breadmaking involves a series of aeration processes. Gas bubbles in bread are crucial to its structure, thus understanding the process is important to achieve the desired characteristics. Mixing is the stage where bakers have the most control over the bubbles in bread. The mixing headspace, pressure, time, speed and energy input can all be varied, each affecting the bread produced. Sweetened breads such as Chelsea buns and hot cross buns contain approximately 10% of the flour weight of sugar. Since yeast rely on sugar as a substrate, the quantity of sugar present will affect the carbon dioxide production and therefore the bubbles. My project looks at the interaction of sugars with bubbles. This will be useful when developing new breads with different quantities of sugar.
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