Development of high-fiber wheat bread using microfluidized corn bran.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Cereal Science
• Baking Technology

Background:

• Microfluidized corn bran is a rich source of dietary fiber.
• Its application in high-fiber bread development is limited due to negative impacts on bread quality.
• Previous attempts to mitigate these effects involved physical, chemical, or enzymatic methods.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop high-fiber bread using microfluidized corn bran.
• To investigate the impact of varying microfluidized corn bran levels (18%, 20%, 22%) on bread properties.
• To determine if optimizing water content could resolve quality issues associated with bran addition.

Main Methods:

• Incorporated microfluidized corn bran at 18%, 20%, and 22% flour replacement levels.
• Conducted farinograph tests to determine standard water content for dough consistency (500 BU).
• Adjusted water content in bread formulas to optimize quality parameters for each bran level.

Main Results:

• Standard water content resulted in bread with poor microstructure, texture, and reduced loaf volume.
• Increasing water content to 40.8%, 41.9%, and 44.0% for the respective bran levels significantly improved bread quality.
• Optimized water content yielded loaves with microstructure, specific loaf volume, and texture comparable to control white bread.

Conclusions:

• Optimizing water content is an effective strategy to produce high-quality high-fiber bread with microfluidized corn bran.
• This method avoids complex physical, chemical, or enzymatic treatments.
• High-fiber bread with desirable sensory and structural properties is achievable through careful formulation adjustments.