Brazil ranks as the fourth-largest cookie producer globally, with a significant portion of its production being exported. In 2022, the cookie industry received 10% of the total wheat flour produced in the Brazilian trade. Cookies generally have a long shelf life, and crisp texture, being flour an important ingredient for product quality. During the 2021 crop season, different wheat lines were evaluated for their suitability in cookie production across three environments (Uberaba, MG, Luiz Eduardo Magalhães, BA, and Planaltina, DF).

Following the evaluation, the most promising line was identified, and subsequent agronomic adjustments were made for the 2022 crop season, in the same three locations. Wheat treated with different nitrogen doses (N = 0, 20, 80, and 120 kg/ha) was evaluated for technological quality (physicochemical and rheological analyses) and also through cookie testing. Results indicated that wheat flour from Luiz Eduardo Magalhães exhibited higher protein and gluten contents, gluten strength, and farinograph stability. Meanwhile, the greatest flour yield across all samples was observed in Planaltina.

Both Uberaba and Planaltina samples showed suitable gluten strength, water absorption, and flour stability for sweet cookie production across all nitrogen doses. Furthermore, regardless of location and dose, all samples exhibited desirable light flour color and extensible dough, which are suitable for sweet cookies. In particular, samples from Planaltina yielded the best-performance in the cookie test, as evidenced by the smaller thickness and larger expansion factors.

As conclusion, the choice of sowing location exerted a more pronounced influence on the physical-chemical and rheological characteristics of wheat flour compared to nitrogen doses, which was corroborated by the cookie testing. However, further data will be obtained in the next crop season. Nevertheless, the selected wheat line confirmed its great potential for cookie production.