Fortifying bread with mushroom powder
A study published in the Journal of Food Science suggests that incorporating mushrooms into bread may increase the nutraceutical quality of the bread while not impacting the product’s attributes.
A study published in the Journal of Food Science suggests that incorporating mushrooms into bread may increase the nutraceutical quality of the bread while not impacting the product’s attributes.
The researchers examined the impact of incorporating powdered Auricularia auricula, a widely consumed edible mushroom, into bread products. Specifically, the researchers measured the rheological and structural properties of wheat dough and bread supplemented with 0% to 10% (w/w) A. auricula flour.
The researchers found that supplementation of wheat doughs with A. auricula flour increased the peak viscosity and enhanced their water-holding capacity. Rapid viscosity analysis showed that peak and final viscosities of the blended flour (wheat flour with A. auricula flour) were higher than wheat flour alone. However, dough stability and elastic modulus were reduced by blending wheat flour with A. auricula flour.
They observed that doughs with up to 5% (w/w) A. auricula flour had acceptable gluten network microstructure. They also discovered that incorporation of A. auricula flour at levels >5% negatively impacted bread volume, height, texture, and appearance. In the future, the researchers plan to investigate the impact that supplementation of bread with this nutraceutical-rich mushroom flour has on its sensory properties.