Development of no-salt herbal bread using a method based on scalded flour

Abstract

Abstract The primary objectives of this study were to investigate the quality of no-salt wheat bread prepared with a mixture of herbs (MH) using a method involving the addition of scalded flour and to compare this method to the traditional single-phase method. In the case of the single-phase method, MH (thyme, lemon balm, and nettle (1:1:1)) was added in the form of dried herbs at a level ranging from 3% to 12% (every 3%) to the dough, whereas in the case of scalded flour, MH was added as an infusion (at concentrations ranging from 0, 12, 24, 26, and 48\xa0mg/mL). According to our results, an increase in the level of MH caused a decrease in the volume of the bread and an increase in the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity of the prepared bread. Moreover, with the addition of MH, there was a decrease in the brightness and a slight decrease in the redness of the crumb. The use of scalded flour resulted in lower crumb hardness and chewiness than that of the single-phase method. According to the sensory evaluation, scalded flour method can be used in the production of good quality no-salt bread with the addition of MH with up to 24\xa0mg/mL of herbal infusion.