Nutritional composition and staling properties of gluten-free bread-added fermented acorn flour

The present study aimed to improve the nutritional quality of gluten-free bread with the addition of acorn flour and to determine the characteristics of the final product. Formulations were adjusted with separately non-fermented and two different fermented acorn flours at different levels (0, 15, 30, and 45%). The breads were assessed in terms of their chemical and physical properties, and their staling characterization was also estimated. Results showed that the fermentation of acorn flour before adding it to the formulation affected some chemical properties, and the addition of increasing amounts of acorn flour generally had a positive effect on the chemical composition. Furthermore, the highest protein, total phenolic content, Ca, K, Mg, Mn, and Fe values were obtained from breads, including fermented acorn flour with chickpea yeast (FAC). However, compared to non-fermented acorn flour (AF), FAC and fermented acorn flour without chickpea yeast (FA) addition caused decreases in weight and volume of breads. Both crust L* and crumb L* values showed a significant reduction with increased acorn addition levels (from 71.88 and 77.22 to 42.26 and 41.15, respectively). The highest initial and final hardness values (T 0 and T ∞) were observed with FAC-added samples, and Avrami exponent n was higher than 1 for only FAC-added breads. Although fermented acorn addition had positive effects on the nutritional profile of breads, the sensory properties of the samples were negatively affected.

Enhancement of Textural and Sensory Characteristics of Wheat Bread Using a Chickpea Sourdough Fermented with a Selected Autochthonous Microorganism

A traditional Greek sourdough, based on the fermentation of chickpea flour by an autochthonous culture, was evaluated as a wheat bread improver. The dominant indigenous microflora (Clostridium perfringens isolates) was identified by 16S rDNA analysis, and a selected strain (C. perfringens CP8) was employed to ferment chickpea flour to obtain a standardized starter culture (sourdough) for breadmaking. In accordance with toxin-typed strain identification, all isolates lacked the cpe gene; thus, there is no concern for a health hazard. Loaf-specific volumes increased with the addition of liquid, freeze-dried, and freeze-dried/maltodextrin sourdoughs compared to control bread leavened by baker's yeast only. Following storage (4 days/25 °C), the amylopectin retrogradation and crumb hardness changes (texture profile analysis) revealed a lower degree of staling for the sourdough-fortified breads. Modifications in the protein secondary structure of fortified doughs and breads were revealed by FTIR analysis. High amounts of organic acids were also found in the sourdough-supplemented breads; butyric and isobutyric acids seemed to be responsible for the characteristic 'butter-like' flavor of these products (sensory analysis). Overall, the addition of liquid or freeze-dried chickpea sourdough in wheat bread formulations can improve the specific volume, textural characteristics, and sensorial properties of loaves, along with extending bread shelf life.

Comparison of wet and dried chickpea yeast in breadmaking

BACKGROUND

Chickpea yeast (CY), initiated by spontaneous fermentation of coarsely-ground chickpea in water, is considered a variant of conventional sourdough and contributes somewhat similarly to bakery products. As the preparation of wet CY prior to each baking process poses certain difficulties, its usage in dry form has been gaining interest. In this study, CY was used either directly in freshly prepared wet form or in freeze-dried and spray-dried forms at 50, 100 and 150 g kg^-1 levels (all on 14% moisture basis) in substitution with wheat flour to compare their effects on bread properties.

RESULTS

Utilization of all forms of CY did not noticeably change the contents of protein, fat, ash, total carbohydrate and damaged starch in the wheat flour-CY mixtures. However, falling numbers and sedimentation volumes of CY-containing mixtures decreased significantly, due probably to the increase in the amylolytic and proteolytic activities during chickpea fermentation. These changes somewhat corresponded to improved dough processability. Both wet and dried CY samples reduced pH levels of doughs and breads, and increased probiotic lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count. Total phenolic contents, antioxidant capacities and flavor scores of CY-containing breads were significantly enhanced. However, CY usage slightly influenced yield, moisture content, volume, color and hardness values of breads.

CONCLUSION

Effects of wet and dried forms of CY on bread properties were quite comparable, indicating that CY can be used upon properly drying similarly to the conventional wet form. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Accumulation and Transformation of Biogenic Amines and Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA) in Chickpea Sourdough

In general, sourdough fermentation leads to an improvement in the technological, nutritional, and sensory properties of bakery products. The use of non-conventional flours with a specific autochthonous microbiota may lead to the formation of secondary metabolites, which may even have undesirable physiological and toxicological effects. Chickpea flours from different suppliers have been used to produce sourdoughs by spontaneous and inoculated fermentations. The content of nutritionally undesirable biogenic amines (BA) and beneficial gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) was determined by chromatography. Fenugreek sprouts, which are a rich source of amine oxidases, were used to reduce the BA content in the sourdoughs. Spontaneous fermentation resulted in a high accumulation of cadaverine, putrescine, and tyramine for certain flours. The use of commercial starter cultures was not effective in reducing the accumulation of BA in all sourdoughs. The addition of fenugreek sprouts to the suspension of sourdough with pH raised to 6.5 resulted in a significant reduction in BA contents. Enzymatic oxidation was less efficient during kneading. Baking resulted in only a partial degradation of BA and GABA in the crust and not in the crumb. Therefore, it could be suggested to give more importance to the control of sourdough fermentation with regard to the formation of nutritionally undesirable BA and to exploit the possibilities of their degradation.

Effects of different flour blends with varying protein content and quality on dough and crust properties of "etliekmek", a pizza-like traditional food of Turkey

Etliekmek, which somewhat resembles pizza in terms of crust and toppings, is a widely consumed traditional food in Turkey. It consists of a sheeted dough topped with a mixture of minced meat and some vegetables. In this study, the effects on dough processing and crust properties of etliekmek of five flour blends with varying protein content and quality were investigated. The blends (Blend-1 through Blend-5) consisted respectively of hard-endosperm Bezostaja and soft-endosperm Gerek-79 wheat flours at the ratios of 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75 and 0:100. In addition to pysicochemical properties of wheats and their flour blends, dough processing and etliekmek crust properties were measured through the instrumental and sensory approaches. It was determined that protein contents and qualities of the blends decreased from Blend-1 through Blend-5. The dough from Blend-1 was judged to be extremely elastic, which resisted to sheeting due to elastic recovery, whereas the dough from Blend-5 was scored to be somewhat weak and easily extensible. The most suitable dough for the processing of etliekmek crust, i.e., optimally elastic and properly extensible dough with appropriate sheetability, seemed to be 50:50 blend of Bezostaja and Gerek-79 flours (Blend-3). Blend-1 yielded etliekmek crust with thick, moist and excessively chewy texture, as opposed to the thinner, drier and rather crunchy crust texture from Blend-5. Based on the dimensional measurements and sensory evaluations, Blend-3 yielded the best etliekmek crust. The results demonstrate that an optimum balance of dough viscosity and elasticity, which are mostly governed by flour protein content and quality, is of vital importance to the production of high-quality etliekmek crust.