Enhancing bakery product quality through microwave-activated yeast: an experimental analysis

The main indicator of the quality of life is the state of public health, which consists of the safety of food raw materials and foodstuffs. Bread is one of the leading products of mass consumption, and improving its quality by reducing the long stages of dough preparation is essential. This study investigates the use of microwaveactivated yeast to enhance the quality of bakery products. The primary aim was to utilize microwave radiation to activate yeast and assess its effect on the quality of the finished product. To achieve this, potato starch was treated with microwave radiation for various durations (5, 10, 20, and 30 seconds) to transfer energy to baking yeast. The rising power of the yeast was then evaluated using an accelerated method involving floating a ball in a salt solution. Various yeast holdup times in potato starch (ranging from 5 to 25 minutes) were tested to determine optimal conditions. The activated yeast was subsequently used in bread production, and the quality of the bread was compared with a control sample made with non-activated yeast. The results showed that microwaveactivated yeast positively affected the dough preparation process and the quality of the finished bakery products, demonstrating the feasibility of this method for industrial applications.