Evaluating the Effect of Inulin Supplementary on the Sensory and Textural Properties of Prebiotic Bread (Taftoon)

Nowadays, studies on the functional and nutritional values of bread are being developed in order to improve these characteristics as well as application of various dietary fibers and prebiotic compounds in bakery products. The aim of this research was application of prebiotic inulin in the formulation and production of functional Taftoon, a kind of Iranian traditional bread widely used in the country, and evaluation of its nutritional value and qualitative effects. For this purpose, specific percentages of wheat flour (ratios of 2%, 4%, 6% and 8%) were replaced by commercial inulin with average polymerization of 23 and the produced Taftoon was assessed in terms of qualitative characteristics. The results of Farinograph assessment showed that the sample containing 6% inulin received the maximum sensory score for improvement and stability indexes compared with the control sample. Moreover, based on the results the added 6% inulin, regardless of its amount, not only lacked any negative effect on visual quality and color of bread samples, but also improved the product concerning total titratable acidity, rate of flour water absorption, textural features, owing to its viscoelastic behavior, compared to the control sample. Therefore, using inulin as a well- known prebiotic compound improves the nutritional and healthful characteristics of the traditional bread, Taftoon. However, it did not display any negative effects on rheological and sensory properties of the final product.