Effects of selected composite wheat flours on bread baking quality

Influence of blending Kenyan bread wheat with up to 20% of the following non-wheat flours on bread making capabilities and the sensory properties were investigated: maize, sorghum, cassava, sweet potato, arrowroot, banana, cowpea, soybean, and sunflower. Loaves were prepared from the various blends using the pup-loaf procedure and evaluated for volume, external score, crumb color, grain and texture. A highly significant negative correlation was observed between organoleptic judgement and blends as well as substitution levels. Mean scores of all loaf quality parameters measured for each composite blend decreased with increase in non-wheat substitution level and also varied at each substitution levels depending on the type of non-wheat flour used. Sensory scores of all loaves for all composite blends decreased with increase in non-wheat substitution level and also varied at each substitution levels depending on the type of non-wheat flour used. However, loaves prepared from the following composite flours were still acceptable: Wheat/maize (80:20); Wheat/sorghum (85:15); Wheat/cassava (85:15); Wheat/sweet potatoes (80:20); Wheat/arrowroot (90:10); Wheat/banana (85:15); Wheat/cowpea (90:10); Wheat/Soya (95:5) and Wheat/sunflower (95:15). It was concluded that both cereals and tuber crops investigated had high potential as low level partial substitutes for wheat in order to increase the nutritive value of bread and, to reduce costs of production and/or importation of wheat flours.