# Technological Assessment of Bread with the Addition of Cyperus esculentus L. Accessions Flour Grown in the Kuban–Azov Plain

## TL;DR

This study evaluates the use of chufa tuber flour from the Kuban–Azov Plain in bread, showing improved baking properties and nutritional value compared to wheat-only bread.

## Contribution

The study identifies specific chufa tuber accessions that enhance bread quality and functional properties when grown in the Kuban–Azov Plain.

## Key findings

- Chufa tuber flour improved dough strength, resistance to kneading, and reduced liquefaction compared to wheat flour.
- Bread with chufa flour showed higher fiber, phenolic content, and antioxidant activity than wheat bread.
- Certain chufa accessions enhanced the taste and organoleptic properties of mixed-flour bread.

## Abstract

Due to increased interest in new functional food products, 20 accessions of chufa tubers from the collection of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry, grown in the Kuban–Azov Plain in 2022, as well as bread samples made from mixed flour (70% whole-grain wheat flour, 30% chufa tuber flour) were studied. Biochemical, farinographic, and baking evaluations were carried out. Differences between the properties of dough with the addition of flour from various accessions of chufa tubers were recorded. According to the results of comparative, dispersion, and principal component analysis, all biochemical indicators (oil, fiber, sum of phenolic substances, antioxidant activity) of chufa tuber flour and bread with added chufa flour surpassed control samples (whole-grain wheat flour and wheat bread), with the exception of protein and starch content. Viscoamylographic, farinographic sedimentation, and baking quality evaluations indicated that the dough made from mixed flour was stronger than the control (dough from whole-grain wheat flour), more resistant to kneading, and had a lower degree of liquefaction. In terms of organoleptic properties, differences were also identified, and the accessions that enhance the taste of mixed bread were selected. Therefore, a preliminary conclusion can be drawn that chufa tubers grown in the conditions of the Kuban–Azov Plain with high rheological properties and high sedimentation values of the mixed dough can be recommended for improving the baking properties not only of wheat but also of other bread cereals. Chufa is also a promising crop in the manufacture of functional food products in the Krasnodar region and for the food industry in general as a potential thickener.