Abstract:
Sri Lanka's bread production heavily depends on imported wheat flour, creating significant
economic challenges. This study aim to explore the potential of multigrain composite flours,
combining wheat, rice, mung bean and soybean flours to reduce this dependency. Four bread
formulations were prepared by blending wheat flour with rice, mung bean and soybean flour in
ratios of 100:0:0:0 (W100), 70:10:10:10(W70), 60:20:10:10 (W60) and 50:30:10:10 (W50)
respectively. The physicochemical properties were evaluated and compared. The proximate
composition (crude protein, fat, fiber, moisture and ash) was analyzed following standard AOAC
methods. W100 bread recorded the highest specific loaf volume (4.357 ± 0.123 ml/g) and loaf
volume (1841.7 ± 22.05 ml), while W50 showed the highest loaf weight (460.67 ± 10.35 g).
Composite flour bread showed significantly (p < 0.05) higher crude fat, crude protein, crude fiber
content of compared W100, with W70 showing the highest values among the composite samples.
Higher substitution levels increased hardness (178.3 g to 473.3 g) and adhesiveness (−1.223mJ
to −3.9mJ), while reducing cohesiveness (0.643 to 0.49) and springiness (0.967mm to 0.667mm).
Conversely, gumminess increased from 114.93g to 232.1g and chewiness from 111.50mJ to
154.27 mJ. The pH of composite breads was significantly lower than of W100 (p < 0.05). Sensory
evaluation, conducted with 30 untrained panelists using 7-point hedonic scale, identified W70 as
the most preferred formulation. The results indicate that using a composite flour blend with 70%
wheat flour and 30% rice, mung bean and soybean flours presents a promising alternative to
reduce reliance on imported wheat. Further optimization for cost-effectiveness and scalability
could enhance the sustainability of bread production in Sri Lanka.
