The impacts of resting time on dough and bread properties during different unit operations were studied. Resting time significantly affected the properties of dough and bread. The porosity, bubble size distribution, sheeting properties of bread dough was found to be a function of the resting time. Similarly, bread properties like specific volume, porosity fraction and microstructure of bread crumb (pore size distribution in the bread crumb and median pore area) were also affected by the pressure step change during mixing.
Resting time increased the porosity of the dough before sheeting. Decrease in the number of smaller bubbles and increase in the median pore area of the bubbles present in the dough was observed as the resting time proceeded. Significant decrease in torque value was observed with increase in resting time. Elastic recovery in terms of recoil strain was highest for 0 min resting followed by 10 and 20 min resting. Degassing was found to closely related to the air content of the dough as it was found that degassing increased with resting time. Bread specific volume and the porosity fraction increased, whereas median pore area in the bread crumb decreased with resting time.