This was created to be presented at the Western Carolina University Undergraduate Research Expo in 2011. This was research conducted by myself and two undergraduate students within the Nutrition and Dietetics program to determine the effects of Hi-Maize flour in baking.
1. High Fiber Flour Substitution in Baking
Nicole Levi
It is recommended that American adults consume 25-38g of fiber per day; with Americans
consuming only 13-17g per day low fiber intake has been recognized as a current health
problem. To counteract this low intake, hi-maize flour has been introduced to the market
containing a resistant starch that boosts the fiber content of white flour to 20 grams per cup,
compared to all- purpose flour with 0 grams of fiber per cup. The hi-maize flour looks very
similar to white flour and should be used with the same methods and purposes. This new flour
shows no deterioration of protein content with both flours measuring around 3g per serving. Hi-
maize flour also slows down glucose uptake in the blood stream, making it a very desirable
product for diabetics. A study was undertaken to compare performance of hi-maize flour
compared to the performance of all-purpose flour. In our study, two loaves of bread were baked,
one using all-purpose flour and the other using an equal amount of hi-maize flour. The product
of the hi-maize loaf yielded a much denser cell structure, did not rise as much or as rapidly, and
required more baking time than the all-purpose flour loaf. Measurements were taken of the
loaves to compare total rising, the all-purpose loaf measured 4.75” while the hi-maize flour loaf
measured only 3.5” at their corresponding highest points. When baking with hi-maize flour, one
should not expect a product replication of a loaf of bread prepared with all-purpose flour. The
replacement of hi-maize flour, however, can produce a more compact but desirable loaf with
adequate amounts of fiber. Breads made with hi-maize flour show promise to helping
Americans increase their fiber intake as well as manage their diabetes.
