The effect of enzyme-hydrolyzed pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch.) pulp supplementation on dough and bread quality.

This study aimed to assess whether an enzyme-treated pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata Duch.) pulp (EPP) could be applied as an ingredient in bread making. The results showed that EPP treated by pectinase, cellulase, and α-amylase had increased content in reducing sugar but decreased contents in pectin, cellulose, and starch. When EPP was added into wheat flour to replace the added water by 25% or 50% (on fresh basis), the generated dough samples after yeast fermentation showed reduced dough volume but enhanced textural indices including hardness, springiness, and adhesiveness than the control dough. The EPP-supplemented bread samples showed close weight and similar composition in moisture, lipid, protein, and reducing sugar to the control bread, but had higher ash and crude fiber contents. Compared with the control bread, the EPP-supplemented bread samples also showed less baking loss, higher values in four textural indices including hardness, chewiness, springiness, and adhesiveness, lower bread volume and specific volume, and were more red and yellow. Image analysis results confirmed that EPP caused higher cell density but lower cell area and porosity in the bread samples. Interestingly, the untreated pumpkin pulp (PP) was more potent than EPP to affect these assessed indices in both dough and bread samples, while a higher PP/EPP level caused more index changes. Although EPP induced several adverse impacts on both dough and bread quality, it could be regarded a potential ingredient in bread making, because its application at lower level could enhance dietary fiber content and only had less influence on bread quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]