Technological and Nutritional Benefits of Amaranth Groats in Breadmaking

To increase the nutritional value of wheat bread as a staple food using non-conventional wholesome floury ingredients should meet high expectations of consumers. The study was aimed to investigate the effect of amaranth groats application into breadmaking focused on the technological qualities and biological value of wheat bread enriched with onion powder and safflower oil. The influence of scalded amaranth groats on the bread quality was measured by technological, physical, chemical, instrumental, and computational methods analysing raw materials and developed products. The use of the amaranth grain-derived ingredient at 4-8% as a valuable plant source in the wheat bread formulations enhanced the product consumer characteristics. The proofing of dough of the developed formulations was intensified followed by 6-20% increase in the bread specific volume and better organoleptic properties of bread. Amaranth groats showed high amino acid score for lysine (156%), phenylalanine and tyrosine (125%), and scores for threonine, valine, and cysteine were 2-fold to wheat flour scarce in bioactive compounds. The developed wheat-amaranth bread had an improved amino acid composition due to an increase in the number of essential amino acids, a 2.6 times higher protein utility, contributing to its digestibility. The main factor in changing the fatty acid composition of the developed products was the introduction of safflower oil with a high content of linoleic acid into the product. Introduction of scalded amaranth groats into bread formulations with vegetable-based additives is promising way to attribute the product with therapeutic, and health-improving properties.