Effect of the addition of different fibres on wheat dough performance and bread quality

A good correlation has become evident between fibre consumption and the reduction of coronary heart-related diseases and diabetes incidence. However, fibre intake is commonly lower than recommended. In consequence, the development of foods with high fibre content should be desirable. The potential use of various commercial fibres (carob fibre, inulin and pea fibre), as fibre-enriching agents in breadmaking, is reported. The effects of the addition of these fibres to wheat flour on the viscoelastic properties of dough and both mixing and proofing behaviour is presented. Bread evaluation revealed that carob and pea fibre supplementation, although decreasing specific loaf volume (very slightly in the case of carob fibre), conferred softness to the bread crumbs. In addition, sensory evaluation showed that consumer panellists judged these fibre-enriched breads as acceptable. Therefore, their use, especially carob, allows an increase of the daily intake of fibre without promoting negative effects on the rheological properties of doughs or quality and overall acceptability of the resulting breads. The whole study indicates that these three fibres can be used as additives in breadmaking in order to fortify the diet. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.