Effect of Beta-Glucan and Resistant Starch on Prebiotic Dough and Bread Properties

Abstract

White wheat flour is a poor source of dietary fiber. A demand therefore exists for the enrichment of bread with prebiotic non-digestible ingredients that exert a health-promoting effect. In this study, the effect of beta-glucan (BG) and resistant starch (RS) on the dough properties and bread-making characteristics has been investigated. The water absorption of doughs increased with increasing BG and RS amounts. The development time and farinograph quality number of BG–enriched doughs remained similar to the control while the stability of doughs decreased, and all of these values decreased when the RS was added. BG was more effective in increasing the softening of doughs than RS. The addition of RS or BG increased; the resistance to deformation, energy, maximum resistance and ratio number values, but their extensibility values had decreased compared to the control. Formulation containing BG/RS combination showed the best farinograph (development time, stability) and extensograph (resistance and extensibility) parameters. The application of BG and RS had similar or slightly smaller effect on specific volume and same or higher effect on the moisture content while it caused a decrease in firmness after five days of storage.