8/18/2016

Mexicanflourtortillas|WorldGrain

Mexicanflourtortillas
AstaplefoodinMexicoandCentralAmerica,tortillasaregainingmarketshareinothercountries
WorldGrain.com,7/6/2016
byMauricioSantaolayaandMartinaMollenhauer

ThetortillawasthestaplefoodoftheancientAztecs.ThetrueMexicantortillaisdescendedfromaflatloafthathasbeenmadesince10,000
BC.Maize(corn)tortillaswerefirstproducedseveralthousandyearsago.WhentheSpaniardsarrivedinNorthAmericatheydiscoveredthat
theAztecshadmadeflatcakesfrommaizeforcenturies,callingthemtlaxcalli,anativewordthattheSpanishsettlersadaptedintotheirown
languageastortilla.
Forcenturiestortillasweremadebyhand.Thetortillawasinitiallymadefrommaize,butwiththearrivaloftheSpanishandtheproductionof
wheatflour,tortillasbegantobemadefromflourandarenowgenerallyknownbythenamewheatflourtortillas,orsimplyflourtortillas.
Importanceoftortillasinthemarket
In2014,Mexicanwheatconsumptionwas7.8milliontonnesperyear,whilemaizeconsumptionwas15.9milliontonnes.InMexico,most
wheatflourabout69%isusedforbreadproduction,followedbypastaandflourtortillas,bothat10%,andbiscuitsat8%.Withinthewide
diversityofproductsderivedfromwheat,oneofthefastestgrowingsegmentsinrecentyearshasbeenwheatflourtortillas,withavalueof
126,000tonnes.TortillasremainastaplefoodinMexicoandCentralAmerica,andtheyhavegainedpopularityandmarketshareselsewhere,
too.IntheU.S.,tortillashavedevelopedfromanethnicproducttoamainstreamfood.TortillasarealsopopularinElSalvador,Colombia,
Guatemala,Belize,Venezuela,Chile,PeruandBolivia.
Tortillasaremainlyusedaswrapsfortacosfilledwithshreddedmeats,beans,vegetablesandotheritems.Buttheyarealsofilledwithmelted
cheesetomakequesadillasinsomeregionsofnorthernMexico(Sonora,Chihuahua,Sinaloa,NuevoLeonandCoahuila).Thereisaclear
preferenceforflourtortillasratherthanmaizetortillaswithrecipessuchasburritos,whicharepopularinMexicoandthesouthernUnited
States.
Theflourtortillaispreparedfromwheatflour,shortening,waterandsalt,althoughbakingpowderoryeastarealsousedinsomerecipes.
Tortillasareasinglelayered,unleavenedbread.TheyareconsumeddailybytheurbanandruralinhabitantsofnorthernMexico.Its
consumptionisspreading,becomingpopularincentralMexico,mainlyasanurbanfood.
Qualitiesofagoodtortilla
Highqualityflourtortillasshouldbe:
flexibletoallowrollingorfoldingwithoutcracking.
symmetrical.
uniforminsize.
opaque,withtoastedspots.
softpuffed.

Theyshouldhave:
alargediameter(1718centimeters).
ashelflifeofmorethantwoweeks.
Hotpressedtortillasareslightlyoffround,elastic,resistanttotearing,haveasmoothsurfaceandresistmoistureabsorptionfromfillings.They
areconsumedasgourmettabletortillasandsofttacos.Diecuttortillasareperfectcircles,havealowermoisturecontentandareless
resistanttocracking.Mosthaveadustingofflouronthesurfaceandareusedinburritos,frozenMexicanfoodsandfriedproducts.
Handstretchedtortillasareirregularinshape,elasticandmoderatelyresistanttotearing.Thesetortillasaremainlyconsumedastable
tortillas,usuallyonthesamedaybecauseoftheirbriefshelflife.
Commerciallyproducedflourtortillaskeepwellforaweekifrefrigerated.Theshelflifecanbeimprovedbytheuseofadditivesintheformula.
InMexico,flourtortillasaregenerallymadefromhardwheatflour,althoughwholewheatflourtortillasaregainingpopularity.Mosttortillasare
2millimetersthickandhavediametersthatvaryfrom15cmto33cm.FlourtortillasinSonora(GulfofCalifornia)haveamuchlarger
diameter,butthebiggeronesarecalledwatertortillas,astheydonotcontainshorteningoradditives(oronlyinverysmallquantities),or
vegetableoilisusedinstead.Thisistheoriginalname,althoughtheyarecommonlycalledsobaqueras(holster).Somepeoplecallthem
bedsheets,withdiametersofupto70cm.
Ingredients

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Ingredients
Therecipeforflourtortillasissimple,consistingofwheatflour,shortening,saltandwater.Theirpreparationentailsmixingalltheingredients
intoadoughanddividingthedoughinto20to45grampieces.
Betterqualitytortillasaremainlypreparedfromhardwheatflourwithamediumproteincontent.However,softwheatflourmaybesuitable,
particularlywhentheproductismadeathome.Inindustrialproduction,hardwheatispreferred.
Rheologicaltestsonthedoughhadhighercorrelationswithtortillaqualitythanchemicaltestsonthegrainandflour.Resistanceofthedough
toextensioncorrelatedbestwithtortillaqualityflourswithgreaterextensibilityarepreferable.
Shorteningimprovesthemachinabilityofthedough.Itactsasalubricantandinteractswithproteinsandstarchduringmixing,bakingand
cooling.Itprolongstheshelflifeandreducesstaling.Shorteningfrom5%15%isusedformakingwheatflourtortillas.
Mostrecipescontain1.3%to2%salt.Itmakesthedoughlessstickybecauseitstrengthensandtoughensthegluten.Itisalsoresponsiblefor
theflavorandshelflifeofthetortillas.
Leaveningagentssuchassodiumbicarbonateandsodiumaluminiumsulphateareusedatalevelof1%to2%inwheatflourtortillarecipes.
Thetortillasthenhaveawhiterappearancebecauseofachangeintexture,densityandcolor.ApHfrom5.5to6isrecommendedinorderto
producetheoptimumcolorandleaveningactionandimprovetheeffectivenessofpreservatives.
Mostwheattortillasaremanufacturedindustriallybyweighingtheingredientsandpreparingthedough.Aftermixing,thedoughisproofedfor
5minutes(3235degreesC,7075%RH)thedoughiscutandshapedintoballsofapproximately4045gramseach,usingarounding
machine.
Theseareallowedtorelaxfor10to15minutesat3035degreesC,7075%RH,thenrolledorpressedintodisks1215cmindiameterwith
hotplatestopandbottomat200degreesC(390degreesF)and1,100PSI(76bar/7.6MPa)pressure.Sinceboththickandthinversionsof
thisproductareconsumed,thicknessrangesfrom0.2to0.5cm.
Bakingtakesplaceonahotgriddleorhotplateatapproximately200degreesC.Whenthetortillapuffs(after1520seconds,dependingonits
thickness)itisturnedtobaketheothersidefor1015seconds.Itisthencooledandpackaged.
Recommendationsforbestresults
Thekeyqualityattributesthatleadtothedesiredfunctionalityintortillasareextensibilityduringpressing(diameter)andretentionofflexibility
overtime(shelfstability).Moreover,tortillasthatarewhiteandopaqueinappearancearepreferredinsomeregions,whileconsumersinother
regionspreferthemtobetranslucent.
Flourwaterinteractionsarethemostimportantreactionwithinadoughsystem.Ifaninsufficientamountofwaterisaddedtomeetthe
hydrationneedsofalldoughcomponents,theglutendoesnotbecomefullyhydratedandtheelasticbehaviorofthedoughdoesnotdevelop
fully.Ontheotherhand,iftoomuchwaterisaddedtheviscouscomponentofthedoughisdominantandthedoughshowsdecreased
resistancetoextensionandincreasedextensibility.Italsobecomessticky.Thefollowingisalistofthemostcommonmistakesmadein
production,andhowtoavoidthem:
Problem:Stickydough.
Causes:
Prolongedmixingandresting.
Highamylolyticactivity.
Highwatertemperature.
Lowfatformulation.
Solutions:
Reducemixingandrestingtime.
Useflourwithlowenzymaticactivity(highFallingnumber)reducetheadditionofamylolyticenzymes(ifany).
Checkthewatertemperatureroutinely.
Addfattotherecipeuseglyceridesorotheremulsifierse.g.Mulgaprime90F,MulgaprimeSSL.
Problem:Poormachinabilityofthedough.
Causes:
Addinganinappropriateamountofwatermoreorlessthanrequired.
Weakwheatflour.Lowglutencontent,hightenacity.
Strongwheatflour.Highglutencontent.
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Solutions:
Choosethebestflour,withspecialemphasisonitsrheologicalcharacteristics.
Usemorewaterintherecipe.
Incorporateshorteningoremulsifierssuchasmonoglycerides(e.g.Mulgaprime90F)toimprovedoughmachinability.
Weakflour:Incorporateoxidizingagentslikeascorbicacidorazodicarbonamideoroxidizingenzymestostrengthenthedough(e.g.
ELCOP,OXEM,AlphamaltGloxy13082).
Strongflour:Usereducingagentslikecysteine,e.g.EMCEsoftP.
Changemixingandrestingtimes.

Problem:Dryingandstalingoftortillas
Causes:
Doughtoofirm.
Lowwaterretention.
Starchretrogradation.
Usingthermosensitiveamylolyticenzymes.

Solutions:
Addwaterandemulsifyingagentstoimprovethesoftnessofthedough,e.g.MulgaprimeSSL.
Usehydrocolloidslikeguargumorgumarabictofacilitatewaterretention,e.g.EMCEgum.
Usemoderatelythermostableamylolyticenzymes,e.g.AlphamaltFresh95,Flexizyme.

Problem:Shortshelflife(microbial)tortillasaredecomposedrapidlybymicroorganisms.
Causes:
pHoftheproduct6.5orhigher.
Highmicrobialnumbersintheprocessenvironment.
Solutions:
AdjustthepHwithacidifyingagentsandcontroltheadditionofleaveningpowder.
Checkhygieneconditionsandsanitationintheproductionarea.Useairfiltersinparticularforventilationofthepackagingarea.
ProducefollowingGMP.
Addpreservativessuchaspropionate,e.g.EMCEpropP.

Problem:Thetortillasarenotinflated.
Causes:
Insufficientmixingandrestingtime.
Toolittleleaveningagentand/oryeast.
Strongwheatflour,hightenacity.
Solutions:
Increasemixingandrestingtime.
Addalargerproportionofleaveningagentsand/oryeast.
Usereducingagentsthatfacilitatetheextensibilityofthedough,e.g.EMCEsoft.
Problem:Darktortillas
Causes:
Highpigmentationofthewheat.Highcontentofphenolsandphenoloxidase.
Solutions:
Checkfortheuseofdifferentwheats.
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Checkfortheuseofdifferentwheats.
Standardizeprocessesandflourmilling.
Useimproverstobrightenthecolorofthetortillas.

Mexicanflourtortillas|WorldGrain

Problem:Heterogeneouscolorofflourtortillas.
Causes:
Useofflourobtainedfromwheatofdifferentquality.
Changesintheflourproductionprocess.
Solutions:
Checkfortheuseofwheatswithsimilarcharacteristics.
Standardizeprocessesandflourmilling.
Useimproverstostandardizethecolorofthetortillas,e.g.Decolox.
Ifyouhaveanyquestions,contactMartinaMollenhauer,productmanageratMhlenchemie.Shecanbecontactedat
mmollenhauer@muhlenchemie.

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