Effects of Fermentation Temperature and Time on Chickpea-Initiated Sourdough Production

Abstract

Chickpea is a nutritious staple pulse with numerous consumption patterns. It is also used in bakery products, especially in bread, in chickpea flour, fermented-chickpea liquor (FCL), and chickpea yeast (FCL-fermented sourdough) in various countries. However, a large variation exists in the traditional fermentation of FCL and chickpea yeast (CY). In this study, fermentation parameters (cracked-chickpea size, water-chickpea ratio, fermentation temperature, and fermentation time) for the production of FCL and CY were sequentially optimized through separate RSM designs. Therefore, this study aimed to optimise the fermentation conditions for preparing both FCL and CY. First, FCL production parameters of fermentation temperature, time, chickpea particle size, and water-chickpea ratio were optimized and determined to be 40°C, 26 h, 2-6 mm, and 4:1 ratio, respectively. Secondly, the CY process parameters (fermentation temperature and time) were optimized using the optimized FCL conditions and determined to be 38°C and 9 h. The validation studies proved no statistical difference (p>0.05) between the RSM-model predicted and experimental responses. At the optimized fermentation conditions, the FCL and CY had pH values of 4.44 and 4.31 and LAB counts of 9.87 and 9.08 log cfu/g. The optimum fermentation conditions determined in this study are somewhat comparable to those commonly employed in the traditional preparations of both FCL and CY. Such optimization could lead to the better utilization of FCL and CY in the food industry and improved consumer health outcomes.