Influence of the wheat flour extraction degree in the quality of bread made with high proportions of β-glucan

beta-glucan is currently one of the most important bioactive substances. Hence, there is a growing interest in the production of various foods containing beta-glucan. The study examines the influence of the degree of wheat flour extraction in the quality of breads with high beta-glucan content. Rheological tests were conducted on dough. Volume, mass, color and texture of bread were measured after baking. We observed that increasing the degree of extraction caused an increase in the storage and loss modulus. All of the bread made from the different flours were smaller in volume after the addition of beta-glucan, although the yield increased. The crumb color of beta-glucan-added breads was darker than the control samples. Control samples were higher in textural parameters (firmness, gumminess and chewiness). beta-glucan-added samples had decreased porosity. The results revealed that using very strong flour with a high protein content results in a high quality beta-glucan bread with a higher nutritional value due to the high total dietary fiber and beta-glucan content.