Effect of external conditions on the rate of post-baking chilling of bread Original Research Article

Effects of chilling conditions on moisture and cooling rate of bread were evaluated. Chilling time and water losses were assessed for four air temperatures between 5 and 20 °C. Results showed that high air temperature increased chilling time and decreased water loss. Cooling rate was high at the beginning of the cooling and decreased with time during chilling. Intense evaporation–condensation in the crumb combined with radiation was proposed as an explanation for this non-linear behaviour. A higher cooling rate was observed at surface than at centre and was confirmed by a higher water loss at surface of the product.