Yeast extract for salt reduction in baguette bread: A comprehensive evaluation of dough properties, bread quality,...

Excessive sodium intake is an important public health issue, calling for effective salt reduction strategies in staple foods such as bread. This study provides a comprehensive evaluation of yeast extract (YE) as a partial to complete replacer for sodium chloride (NaCl) in baguette bread. NaCl was replaced with YE at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%, and the effects on dough rheology, proximate composition, molecular structure, color, texture, microbial stability, and sensory properties were assessed. Rheological analysis revealed that increasing YE substitution progressively weakened dough strength, reducing dough stability from 7.01 min (control) to 3.11 min (100% YE), while increasing water absorption and extensibility. Proximate composition showed significant protein enrichment, reaching 12.97% at 100% YE, and lower moisture in YE samples. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicated successful integration of YE components through intensified amide bands, while X-ray diffraction analysis revealed changes in the crystalline characteristics of bread at higher YE levels. Microbial analysis revealed a dose-dependent increase in initial bacterial load with YE inclusion, whereas frozen storage reduced the total viable counts across all samples. Color analysis showed significantly increased crust redness at higher YE levels, potentially associated with Maillard reactions. Sensory evaluation identified the 25% YE formulation as having the most sensory profile, with the highest scores across the evaluated attributes. Overall, YE supported substantial NaCl reduction in baguette bread, although higher replacement levels were associated with greater technological and microbiological challenges. Considering the combined sensory, technological, structural, and microbial findings, 25-50% NaCl replacement with YE appears to provide the most favorable balance under the conditions of this study. These findings support the potential of YE as a promising ingredient for sodium reduction in bread, while further research involving larger consumer panels, direct sodium quantification, and post-thaw microbial assessment is warranted.