1. Introduction
French bread has 85% of the bread market in Brazil,
being the preferred product at all social levels. A typical
French bread in Brazil has 50 g of final weight, is 12.5 cm
long and 5.5 cm in diameter. Its crust is brown and
glossy with a unique cut largely following the length,
and the crumb is soft and white (Carr & Tadini, 2003).
French fresh bread usually presents an appealing
brownish and crunchy crust, a pleasant roasty aroma
and a soft and elastic crumb texture. However, fresh
bread is a product with a short shelf-life and during its