Effect of the Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) Flour Addition on Physicochemical Properties of Wheat Bread

Chickpea flour is a good source of proteins, fibers, minerals and other bioactive compounds and it could be an ideal ingredient for improving the nutritional value of bread and bakery products. The aim of this study was to supplement wheat flour (WF) with various levels of chickpea flour (CF) in order to obtain bread with good nutritional and quality characteristics. Four experimental variants obtained by substituting wheat flour with different proportions (0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) of chickpea flour were used. The results showed a valuable increment in bread protein and fiber content. The volume of the breads decreased as the level of chickpea flour (CF) increased due the dilution of gluten content in the blend and due to the interactions among fiber components, water and gluten. Nevertheless, substitution at 10%, 20% and 30%, gives parameter values at least as good as the control sample (WFB) and produces acceptable bread, in terms of weight, volume and sensorial properties.