2.2. Experimental procedure
All ingredients were mixed in a dough mixer for 4 min at low speed and for 6 min at high speed. Dough
temperature was 2971 1C after mixing. After resting for 20 min at room temperature, the dough was divided,
molded into 60 g pieces (3.5 cm diameter and 9.0 cm length) and proofed at 3471 1C until the volume
doubled. After that, the pieces remained for 15 min at room temperature to dry out the surface before cutting, and were partially baked for 7 min in a turbo oven at 250 1C with baking steam during the first minute. Immediately after baking, part-baked French bread was frozen in a Climatic Chamber (Veb Feutron Greiz, model 3522/51, Germany) at 30 1C and 1.5 m/s of airspeed. The endpoint of freezing was established when the thermocouple inside the core of some pieces indicated 18 1C. Some pieces were completely baked (about 15 min) and they were analysed as fresh bread
(zero days of storage period). After freezing, part-baked French bread was packed in polyethylene bags and stored in a freezer at 18 1C for 7 days. Daily, samples were removed from the freezer, thawed at room temperature for 1 h and then
taken to the oven at 250 1C to complete the baking process, about 6 min. Again baking steam was applied during the first minute.