Effects of chickpea flour on wheat pasting properties and bread making quality

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Cereal Science
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Pulses, including chickpeas, are valuable protein sources with balanced essential amino acids.
• Combining pulses with cereals can enhance overall nutritional profiles.
• Wheat flour is a staple in baking, but its protein profile can be improved.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of substituting wheat flour with chickpea flour on pasting properties.
• To evaluate the effects of chickpea flour incorporation on bread-making quality.
• To determine optimal levels of chickpea flour substitution for desirable bread characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Partial substitution of wheat flour with chickpea flour at 10%, 20%, and 30% levels.
• Pasting properties analyzed using Micro Visco-Amylo-Graph Analyser and Farinograph.
• Bread quality assessed through volume, internal structure, texture, and color analysis.

Main Results:

• Pasting temperature increased with chickpea flour concentration (62-66.5°C).
• Chickpea flour enhanced water absorption and dough development time.
• Dough stability and bread quality (volume, texture, color) were negatively affected at substitution levels above 10%.

Conclusions:

• Chickpea flour can be incorporated into wheat flour for baking, but levels must be optimized.
• 10% chickpea flour substitution yields bread comparable to control loaves.
• Higher chickpea flour inclusion negatively impacts dough properties and bread quality attributes.