Effect of immature wheat flour on nutritional and technological quality of sourdough bread

In this study, the effect of immature wheat flour (IWF) on the fermentation activity of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and on the nutritional quality properties of bread were evaluated. IWF was added in the as the ratio of 10g/100g in sourdough fermentation medium, and the fermentation activity (total LAB, pH, titration acidity (TA), and total reducing sugar (TRS)) of LAB cultures was monitored. Additionally, some physical quality characteristics (specific volume, texture profile and colour value), estimated glycaemic index (eGI), rapidly digestible starch (RDS), slowly digestible starch (SDS), and the total dietary fibre content of sourdough bread were determined. According to the statistical test, it was revealed that the IWF addition stimulated LAB growth and increased their fermentation activity. The pH of the fermentation medium decreased from 6.57 to 3.50, and TA raised from 0.13% to 1.2% in 48 h. The highest TRS content was determined in IWF enriched sourdough samples, and as a result of this, the eGI of sourdough bread increased. Compared to the control sample, the SDS and total dietary fibre content were higher in IWF added sourdough bread, and a positive correlation was noted between these two components. IWF utilisation of sourdough bread formulation increased the hardness value by nearly 50%.