A sourdough process based on fermented chickpea extract as leavening and anti-staling agent for improving the quality of gluten-free breads

Enhancement of Textural and Sensory Characteristics of Wheat Bread Using a Chickpea Sourdough Fermented with a Selected Autochthonous Microorganism

“…In general, for the same storage time interval (96 h), BLS and BFDS breads exhibited a lower extent of starch retrogradation compared to the other two samples. These results indicate that the addition of sourdough could efficiently delay amylopectin recrystallization during storage and are in line with findings from previous studies [ 19 , 65 , 97 , 98 ].…”

“…The positive effect on crumb softness might be due to the increased enzymatic activity, such as bacterial proteinase and α-amylase [ 17 ], that may cause partial gluten and starch hydrolysis and thereby lead to interruption of the continuous starch-protein matrix. This might also contribute to the higher specific volumes noted for the sourdough breads compared to the control ( Table 4 ), as previously suggested by other authors [ 19 , 20 , 78 , 79 ]; high loaf volumes can also contribute to the crumb softness (open crumb structure). The crust hardness was similar for all sourdough-fortified breads, but lower than CB throughout the entire storage period ( Figure 5 b).…”

“…An increase in bread’s specific volume was also found by Gül et al [ 57 ] and Sayaslan et al [ 58 ] in wheat breads made with fermented-chickpea sourdough preparations; similar findings have also been reported for gluten-free breads made by both liquid and freeze-dried sourdoughs in which the autochthonous microorganisms from fermented chickpea were used as a starter [ 19 , 20 ]. In another study on gluten-free breads, the loaf volume increased with the addition of maltodextrins with DE 15.3–21.8, whereas the addition of a maltodextrin with DE 3.6 (higher molecular weight) had the opposite effect [ 59 ].…”

“…Similar conclusions were reached by Rizzello et al [ 84 ], who showed that the addition of quinoa sourdough to white wheat bread positively affected the texture, volume, and sensory properties of the product. Additionally, it was reported that freeze-dried wheat germ sourdough incorporation into white bread [ 71 ] and the use of liquid or freeze-dried sourdough by employing a fermented chickpea extract as a starter in gluten-free breadmaking [ 19 , 20 ] also improved the texture and sensory characteristics of the end-products.…”

“…Specifically in Greece, fermented chickpeas have been used traditionally to produce a type of leavened wheat bread called “eftazymo”, a name derived from the Greek word “aftozymo”, which means fermented by itself [ 17 ]. In our previous studies, a gluten-free sourdough made by an autochthonous starter from fermented chickpea extract was found to be an effective leavening and anti-staling agent for improving the quality and extending the shelf life of gluten-free breads [ 19 , 20 ]. In fermented chickpea sourdoughs, the dominant autochthonous microflora has been identified to consist mostly of populations of bacilli and clostridia [ 21 ], with Clostridium perfringens being responsible for gas production, which is necessary for leavening, and the production of butyric acid that contributes to its characteristic flavor [ 18 , 20 ].…”