The oxidation of ascorbic acid and its improver effect in bread doughs

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Abstract
The breadmaking improver action of ascorbic acid has been determined by measuring its effect on load–extension curves of fermenting doughs. By mixing in nitrogen it is shown that air is involved in the reaction and that the oxidation product dehydroascorbic acid, can function equally well as an improver in nitrogen or air. The improver and oxidation reaction are partly inhibited by sodium diethyldithiocarbamate but not by versene. The oxidation–reduction system re‐uses ascorbic acid during fermentation. Oxidation catalysts present in flour are not limiting in the ascorbate improver reaction. Bromate accentuates ascorbate improvement so that a mixture of bromate and ascorbate is more effective than the sum of their separate actions. Ascorbate and dehydroascorbate have both an immediate improver effect and an effect which increases with time.