Chemical, Nutritional, Antinutritional, Physical and Technological Characterization of Breads Containing Germinated and Non-Germinated Black Lentil Flours Under Different Fermentation Conditions

This study aims to investigate the possibility of using lentil flour in its native and germinated form as microgreen in bread-making technology, as well as how the fermentation process (with yeast or sourdough) influences the chemical, nutritional, antinutritional, physical and technological parameters of the bread. For this purpose, 14 bread samples were obtained using composite flours (wheat flour and black lentil flour) with the addition of 10, 20, and 30% lentil flour (LF) relative to wheat flour (WF), as well as composite flours (wheat flour and germinated lentil powder GL) in proportions of 2.5, 5, and 7%. Each flour sample was used in bread production using the direct fermentation method with yeast (yeast lentil bread BLY and yeast germinated lentil bread BGLY) and the indirect method with sourdough (sourdough lentil seed bread BLS and sourdough germinated lentil bread BGLS). Experimental results regarding nutritional composition showed a significant increase in protein content compared to the control (wheat flour bread), with the highest value recorded in the sample with 7.5% germinated lentil fermented with sourdough (29.18%), which also stood out for the highest total polyphenol content (1183.84 mg/100 g) and the lowest phytic acid content. Regarding the physical properties of the bread, an increase in elasticity, porosity, and height/diameter ratio was observed in the samples with an intermediate addition of lentil flour (20%) and germinated lentil flour (7.5%). The physical color parameters of the final product are also significantly influenced by the addition of black lentil flour, as well as germinated lentils. In conclusion, it can be stated that the use of lentil flour in its germinated form increases the nutritional and functional properties of bread, while the use of sourdough in the technological process leads to a decrease in the phytic acid content of the samples. Among the tested formulations, the addition of 20% lentil flour or 5% lentil germinated lentil resulted in the most favorable balance between bread elasticity, porosity, and H/D ratio.