Functional Optimization of a Novel Gluten-Free Bread Made with Tapioca Starch and Red Lentil Flour

Commercially produced gluten-free bread has gained popularity over the past decade. However, it often struggles to match its gluten-containing counterparts in terms of nutritional aspects, appearance, texture, and consumer acceptability. In this study, we aimed to optimize a novel gluten-free formulation based on tapioca starch and red lentil flour using a D-optimal mixture design. According to our findings, the swelling power and oil-holding capacity of the blended flour increased with the proportion of red lentil flour. The volume of bread loaves with 15% red lentil flour and 15% or 30% tapioca starch was close to that of the control bread. The addition of lentil flour tended to reduce the springiness of the experimental bread crumb, while the hardness was lower for the experimental sample with 15% lentil and 30% tapioca starch. The predicted glycemic index of the bread samples ranged from 70 to 87, and the sample containing 30% tapioca and 30% red lentil flour achieved the lowest score. Finally, the optimized gluten-free bread formulation showed lower hardness, pore density, and predicted glycemic index, and higher volume compared to the control bread sample, demonstrating that it is possible to improve gluten-free baked goods without compromises.