Effect of infrared baking on wheat flour tortilia characteristics

A new and improved method for baking wheat flour tortillas was evaluated. The method was faster and reduced tortilla dehydration. The aim of the study was to evaluate the efficiency of the infrared baking method on rollability, puffing, layering, color (lightness), and texture (cutting force and tensile strength) characteristics of wheat tortillas formulated and formed by the traditional (hand-rolled) and commercial (hot-press) methods. These tortillas were also compared with traditional tortillas cooked on a hot griddle and commercial tortillas cooked in a three-tier, gas-fired oven. In the infrared radiation (IR) method, tortillas were baked for 17 or 19 sec by IR using black-body radiation at a selected wavelength band and emission temperatures of 549 or 584°C. IR-baked tortillas showed good characteristics of rollability, puffing, layering, color, and texture. The loss of moisture during baking of the tortillas formed by hot-pressing and baked by IR was significantly lower than that of tortillas baked by traditional and commercial methods. X-ray diffraction of tortillas prepared by the traditional process and baked by the IR method showed a pattern similar to that of homemade tortillas baked on a hot griddle. The average energy used by the IR oven was less than that used in the commercial method which, in turn, is more efficient than the traditional hot griddle method.