Influence of Psyllium husk (Plantago ovata) on Bread Quality

Abstract

It is well supported that a significant intake of dietary fibre reduces the risk of several chronic diseases. The development of staple foods enriched with fibre is an important contribution to a broader supply of food products with health beneficial effect. In this sense, the objective of this work is the development of bread enriched with psyllium fibre. Four experimental variants obtained by substituting wheat flour with different proportions (0%, 5%, 10%, and 15%) of psyllium husk were used. Bread samples were subjected to physico-chemical examination: humidity, weight, volume and specific volume of bread, crumb porosity and elasticity (according to STAS 91 -2007). The results showed an increment for the hydration capacity of the dough. The volume of the breads decreased as the level of psyllium husk increased, due the dilution of gluten content in the blend and due to the interactions among fiber components, water and gluten. Nevertheless, substitution at 5%, 10% and 15%,  gave quality parameters at least as good as for the control sample and produced acceptable bread, in terms of weight, volume and rheological properties