The thermal performance of a gluten-free bread dough consisting of a blend of non allergenic corn and cassava starches (75:25) with hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC) as gluten mimetic hydrocolloid in conjunction with egg white (EW) was determined by differential scanning calorimetry. In order to analyse the effects of different levels of the components (water: 80-110%, HPMC: 0-2% and EW: 0-10% over the starch blend) on the thermal transitions of the dough, a Doehlert design and a response surface methodology were used.The analysis of variance showed that EW did not affect the onset temperature of gelatinisation and HPMC did not affect the peak and conclusion temperatures. HPMC-water interactions mainly controlled the onset temperature of starch gelatinisation. On the other hand, the peak and conclusion temperatures were determined by the additive and opposite effects of water and EW. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.