Problems and Approaches in the Improvement of Gluten-Free Bread Texture: A Comprehensive Review

Currently, creating gluten-free bread comparable with traditional bread remains a major scientific and technological challenge. Gluten is a wheat flour protein complex, mainly gliadins (ω-, α-, and γ-gliadins) and glutenins consist of low molecular-weight and high molecular-weight subunits. The absence of a gluten framework negatively impacts the dough structure and texture. This comprehensive analysis is aimed at identifying the most effective and industrially relevant approaches for structuring gluten-free bread texture and practical implementation. Valuable attention is given to combinations of alternative protein flours (rice, sorghum, legumes, and pseudocereals) used to enrich gluten-free products with plant hydrocolloids, including pectin, β-glucan, gum arabic, gum tragacanth, guar gum, psyllium, and locust bean gum; and animal-derived hydrocolloids: gelatin and milk proteins (caseinate and whey concentrates). The following main review directions are discussed: hydrocolloids structuring and moisture retention, protein ingredients and protein-hydrocolloid interactions, fermentation and enzyme preparations, staling of gluten-free bread and methods of slowing it down, extrusion and microencapsulation technologies, and innovations and future directions. The problems of scalability and economic feasibility of the latest approaches; advances in food chemistry, biotechnology, process engineering, and consumer science; prospects for further research in the improvement of gluten-free bread value and meeting the growing consumer demand for healthy food products are considered.