U.S. researchers have found ways to increase antioxidant levels in pizza dough, creating a healthier meal.

Chemists at the University of Maryland revealed Monday that longer fermenting and baking times for pizza dough can increase the amount of antioxidants, molecules that scientists say can slow or even prevent development of cancer and heart disease.

Longer fermentation and baking times of pizza dough increase antioxidant levels, researchers say.
(CBC)

"The reason that we chose pizza is just because it is a very popular food product, not only in the U.S. but worldwide," researcher Jeffrey Moore said. "So we thought if we could find ways to improve [its antioxidant] properties, doing this for such a product could have a larger impact on public health."

Pizza crust is one of the most widely eaten wheat products in the U.S.

The researchers focused on whole wheat dough, which already has a higher antioxidant content than dough made from refined flour. Experimenting on refined flour dough could also enhance antioxidant content, but not to the same degree, since most of the antioxidants in wheat are in the bran and endosperm, components that are typically removed in the refining process, Moore said.

Turning up the heat

The usual fermentation time for pizza dough is 18 hours, but Moore and his team experimented with periods as long as two days. They found that longer fermentation times sometimes doubled the antioxidant content in the dough.

Longer baking times also increased antioxidant content by as much as 60 per cent, while higher temperatures increased antioxidants by up to 82 per cent, though those numbers varied depending on the type of wheat flour and antioxidant test used.

Moore cautions that healthier dough doesn't allow carte blanche for toppings. Adding sausage, bacon or extra cheese negates the health benefits of the increased antioxidants.

"If you're adding back all these other things that have potential negative health consequences, then you're negating anything that you're adding in terms of [health] value," he explained.

The study was funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Research Initiative, as well as grants from other state-owned agricultural groups. The pizza industry did not provide any funding, Moore said.