Blending studies using wheat and lentil cotyledon flour: Effects on rheology and bread quality

Lentil (Lens culinaris.) is a highly nutritious food staple widely consumed within India and the Mediterranean and although gaining popularity in western diets, wheat (Triticum aestivum) will continue to be a major crop as it can be used to manufacture a wide range of products. The nutritional benefits of lentils are acknowledged, particularly as a source of high protein so the incorporation of lentil flour into wheat-based foods has the potential to improve the nutritive value of a range food products. Blending lentil and wheat flour improved the nutritional quality of bread. Optimising the blending ratio limited the deleterious effect on rheological properties resulting in acceptable loaf volume and crumb structure.