Stream-Specific Functional and Rheological Variability in Roller-Milled Wheat Flours: A Sustainable Approach to Cookie Quality Optimization and Flour Utilization

Abstract

This study investigated the stream-specific functional, rheological, thermal, and end-product properties of roller-milled wheat flour streams, including break (B1-B4), reduction (C1-C5), and straight-run flour (SRF), to develop a sustainable framework for flour utilization and cookie quality optimization. Significant variability (p < 0.05) was observed across streams, with damaged starch ranging from 3.48% (B1, C3) to 8.85% (SRF). Reduction streams exhibited higher swelling power (up to 6.94 g/g at 98 °C) and solubility (11.64% at 55 °C), while thermal analysis showed gelatinization temperatures between 60.35 and 70.17 °C and enthalpy values of 4.13-8.91 J/g. Pasting properties revealed higher peak viscosity (3100-3280 BU) and setback (1120-1350 BU) in high-damage streams. Farinograph parameters varied significantly, with water absorption ranging from 52.0 to 63.9% and dough stability from 0.6 to 18.1 min. Cookie quality differed markedly, with reduction streams producing higher spread ratios (up to 7.3) and lower hardness (4925 g), while break streams yielded firmer structures.Principal component analysis further highlighted strong associations between starch functionality, rheology, and product quality. These findings demonstrate that selective utilization and recombination of milling streams can enhance resource efficiency, reduce process variability, and enable sustainable production of application-specific flours. This work provides a data-driven framework for optimizing flour functionality and improving product quality in industrial baking systems.