Optimization of the sensory and nutritional quality of a whole wheat bread made with the addition of sprouted wheat flour

Abstract

The incorporation of germinated wheat flour (HTG) in the production of whole wheat bread represents a promising strategy to improve the nutritional and functional properties of this basic food and is also considered a strategy for a healthy diet for the population. The objective of this work was to determine the impact of incorporating an optimal percentage of germinated wheat flour (HTG) on the rheological properties of the dough, as well as on the nutritional and sensory quality of whole wheat bread. The results showed that the addition of HTG significantly modified the rheological behavior for water absorption (AA-56.2 g), gluten weakening (DG-0.217 Nm), stability (S-5.50 min), dough development time (DT -53.9 min), with the treatments with 8% and 15% being the closest to the control. Furthermore, the inclusion of 15% HTG increased the levels of protein (11.61g), iron (5.77mg) and folic acid (163.01 μg) in the bread, improving its nutritional profile. Sensory properties, such as color, smell, flavor and texture, were also favored at 15%, resulting in a bread with acceptable attributes comparable to 100% wheat bread. In general, it was found that the optimal replacement of HTG is 15% for rheological, sensory and nutritional properties. These findings suggest that HTG may be a viable alternative for the production of more nutritious and functional breads.