Proximate composition and bread making performance of selected wheat varieties grown in Nigeria

Abstract

The proximate composition and bread making performance of selected wheat varieties grown in Nigeria, including Atilla, Cettia, Reyna 28, Seri MSH and Norman have been reported in this study. Bread making was done using a straight dough method and the resulting loaves were evaluated in terms of their weight, volume and texture. The developed bread samples were subjected to sensory analyses using a 9 point Hedonic scale. Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance ANOVA and means separation by Duncan multiple range test. The proximate results ranged as follows: moisture (11.90-13.23%), protein (11.37-16.77%), fibre (1.07-3.50%), fat (0.77-1.41%) and starch (60.01- 73.67%). The flour samples had significantly higher (p < 0.05) protein, fat, fibre and starch contents compared with the commercial flour (CON). The bread making protocol revealed that Reyna 28 showed the highest water uptake (436mls) and a mixing time of 20 min, followed by Atilla, with 432mls but with a higher mixing time of 25 min signifying potential for optimal dough development. The mean sensory scores obtained showed no significant (p > 0.05) difference in the appearance, taste, texture and chewability of the local wheat bread samples but the control had significantly higher (p < 0.05) scores for these attributes. The present research work has shown that despite some significant variations in measured parameters, acceptable and standard bread loaves can be produced from improved wheat flour varieties grown in Nigeria.

Keywords: Proximate composition, bread making performance, wheat varieties, bread