Production and characterization of composite wheat- sologold sweet potato (orange fleshed) flour for bakery products

Producing composite flour for baking requires a good understanding of the characteristics that ensures smooth processing and handling. Characteristics such as particle size, flowability, and thermal properties play a crucial role in maintaining the quality, stability, and safety of the final product. The objective of this study is to produce and evaluate the characteristics of composite flour made from 70% wheat flour and 30% sologold sweet potato flour, using a completely randomized design and standard scientific methods for analysis. The results showed that wheat flour had an average particle size of 411.16 µm, while sologold sweet potato flour had 351.97 µm. The finer particle size of the sweet potato flour makes it easier to mix and evenly blend with wheat flour. The Carr index (6.0 CL%) and Hausner ratio (1.06 HR) indicated that the composite flour had excellent free-flowing properties. The composite flour samples had moisture content ranging from 11.90% to 9.60% (dry basis). Other properties are bulk density which was between 480 and 390 kg/m³, specific heat capacity from 2.10 to 1.95 kJ/kg·K, thermal conductivity between 0.15 and 0.11 W/m·K, and thermal diffusivity from 0.09 to 0.06 m²/s. Understanding these characteristics will help ensure that the composite flour be processed efficiently while remaining stable and safe for use.