Current Trends in the Realm of Baking: When Indulgent Consumers Demand Healthy Sustainable Foods

Influence of blend proportion and baking conditions on the quality attributes of wheat, orange-fleshed sweet potato and pumpkin composite flour dough and bread: optimization of processing factors

Orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) and pumpkin fruit are underutilized crops with great potential for the production of high-quality bread with health-enhancing properties. However, the incorporation of nonconventional flour in bread formula may influence the dough and bread quality properties. This study investigated the effect of partial substitution of wheat flour with OFSP (10–50%) and pumpkin flour (10–40%), baking temperature (150–200 °C) and baking time (15–25 min) on the quality properties of the composite dough and bread using response surface methodology (RSM). Dough rheological, bread physical and textural properties were analyzed, modelled and optimized using RSM. Satisfactory regression models were developed for the dough and bread quality attributes (R2 > 0.98). The dough development time, crust redness, hardness, and chewiness values increased while optimum water absorption of dough, specific volume, lightness, springiness, and resilience of bread decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing incorporation of OFSP and pumpkin flour in the bread formula. Additionally, the specific volume, crust redness, crumb hardness, and chewiness of the composite bread increased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing baking temperature from 150 to 180 °C but reduced at higher baking temperatures (≥ 190 °C). The staling rate declined with increased OFSP and pumpkin flour whereas increasing the baking temperature and time increased the bread staling rate. The optimized formula for the composite bread was 78.5% wheat flour, 11.5% OFSP flour, 10.0% pumpkin flour, and baking conditions of 160 °C for 20 min. The result of the study has potential applications in the bakery industry for the development of functional bread.

Graphical Abstract

Addition of Amaranth Flour of Different Particle Sizes at Established Doses in Wheat Flour to Achieve a Nutritional Improved Wheat Bread

Amaranth is an underutilized pseudocereal that can be used to supplement wheat flour (WF) in order to improve the nutritional quality of bread. Bread digestibility is impacted by particle size which produces different nutritional properties. This research aims to evaluate the baking characteristics of optimal wheat−amaranth composite flour for each studied amaranth flour (AF) particle size at doses previously established based on an optimization process and to characterize from a physical, textural, nutritional, and sensorial point of view the obtained bread. The results revealed that the optimal wheat−amaranth composite flour with medium and small particle size, respectively showed a slightly lower α-amylase activity, while dough development time was significantly higher compared to the WF. A significant (p < 0.05) decrease was observed in the elasticity, deformation energy, and dynamic rheological parameters of the optimal composite dough for all the particle sizes, whereas fermentation parameters showed higher values compared to the control, indicating the ability of the gluten structure in large, medium, and small particle sizes of AF to hold the gas and to expand without collapsing. The physical, textural, and especially nutritional characteristics of the optimal WF-AF bread were enhanced. The sensory evaluation results revealed high scores (8.70) for the acceptability of optimal bread with a medium particle size as compared to wheat bread (8.25). The protein and ash content of the optimal breads with large, medium, and small AF particle sizes, respectively, increased significantly, from 8.92 to 10.58%, and 0.82 to 0.99%, respectively, relative to the wheat flour bread (8.35% and 0.72%, respectively). The mineral content was up to two times higher in the optimal breads compared to wheat flour bread. The findings generated from this study are helpful in bakery industry for designing products with enhanced nutritional properties and for introducing new products to the market.

Clinical, Nutritional, and Functional Evaluation of Chia Seed-Fortified Muffins

Health-protective functional foods are gaining popularity in the world of nutrition because they promote excellent health while decreasing pharmaceutical burdens. Chia seeds (CS) (Salvia hispanica L.), the greatest vegetative source of α-linolenic acid, bioactive proteins, and fibers, are among the top unconventional oilseeds shown to have bounteous benefits against various non-communicable diseases. Purposely, this study was designed to integrate roasted CS powder into white-flour-based ordinary bakery goods to improve their nutritional and nutraceutical profiles. CS efficacy in normal and hyperlipidemic Sprague-Dawley rats resulted in mitigating blood glucose, triglycerides, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol while elevating high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hematocrit, hemoglobin, red blood cell counts, and platelets. The nutritional profiling of chia-fortified muffins indicated significant increases of 47% in fat, 92% in fiber, 15% in protein, and 62% in minerals. The farinographic experiments of CS-blends revealed generally improved dough quality features with a significant rise in the degree of softening as fortification levels increased. A marketable recipe for CSF-muffins with several degrees of fortification demonstrated a significant rise in fat, 92% rise in fiber, 15% rise in protein, and 62% rise in minerals. Sensorial evaluation by trained taste panelists revealed a maximum appraisal of the 15% chia-fortified muffins due to aroma, appearance, and overall acceptability, and were forwarded for being acceptable for commercialization.

Clean-label techno-functional ingredients for baking products - a review

The increased awareness of consumers regarding unfamiliar labels speeded up the ongoing clean label trend. As baking products are widely consumed worldwide, the reduction of non-natural baking aids and improvers is of great interest for consumer's health but also representing a big challenge for food industries. Thus, this paper aims at describing new techno-functional clean label ingredients for baked products and their production processes conditions. Firstly, it includes ingredients such as sustainable protein sources, fat replacers and leavening alternatives. Then, it addresses new process alternatives for producing baking ingredients with natural claim as well as current concepts as the natural fermentation. In particular, molecular and functional modifications of the flour are discussed regarding malting and dry heat treatments. By being considered as green and emerging technologies that improve flour functionality, the resulting ingredients can replace additives. Changes in quality and technological attributes of breads and cakes will be discussed as a consequence of the partial to total replacement of conventional ingredients. This paper provides new alternatives for the baking industry to meet the demand of a growing health-concerned population. In addition, it focused on opening up new possibilities for the food industry to go in line with the consumers' expectations.