Integration of Multi-Cereals Into Wheat Flour: Nutritional Composition, Dough Rheology, and Sensory Profile of Composite Breads

Abstract

Bread, one of the most widely consumed staple foods, is traditionally prepared from whole wheat flour owing to its high gluten content and desirable physiochemical properties. However, growing consumer demand for nutrient-dense functional foods has prompted researchers to explore composite flour formulations by integrating minor cereals such as barley, oat, corn, millet and sorghum. The present study was aimed at investigating the nutritional composition, dough rheology and sensory attributes of composite bread prepared using different blending ratios. Nine experimental blends were developed including a control group containing whole wheat (100%). Results showed that incorporation of the FB-4 flour blend containing oats showed improved crude protein (12.61% ± 0.255%), fiber (3.19% ± 0.08%) and ash (0.45% ± 0.009%). Similarly, FB-5 showed the highest calcium, zinc and iron values (926.50 ± 8.71 ppm; 1.05 ± 0.06 ppm; 1.86 ± 0.70 ppm) respectively. However, the FB-3 blend with millet exhibited greater heavy metal (0.60 ± 0.40 ppm; 0.97 ± 0.85 ppm) for lead and nickel respectively. FB-1 (barley blend) showed the highest loaf volume (8.90 ± 0.30) and desirable crust color (7.30 ± 0.31) reflecting improved texture and flavor. Sensory evaluation using a 9-point hedonic scale showed overall acceptable scores particularly for FB-4 (oat blend) and FB-1 (barley blend). The study concludes that partial substitution of flour blends up to 25% can yield health-oriented baked products, promoting the utilization of minor cereals with high climate resilience.