Sprouting under the spotlight

This presentation will provide an overview of the most recent insights on sprouting, with a focus on the effects of the process on macromolecule functionality and its relationship with breadmaking performance. Four case-studies will be presented: besides common wheat (i.e., the ideal and widely used raw material for bread production), sprouting was applied to durum wheat, quinoa and sorghum to enhance their use in bread-making in view of their agronomic and/or nutritional features. The intensity of sprouting was different among the selected grains: the highest α-amylase activity was shown by durum wheat, instead the highest accumulation of proteases was observed for quinoa and sorghum. Such results suggest the importance of monitoring the sprouting process and the impossibility to transfer the optimal conditions from one grain to another. By controlling the process, it was possible to limit the hydrolysis of the main biopolymers (starch and proteins) so that the functional properties of the related flours (i.e., wholegrain or refined) were improved. Thus, sprouting improved volume and specific volume, and crumb softness of bread, even when wholegrain flours were used, suggesting new potential application of sprouting as a pre-treatment of fiber-enriched flours. Finally, sprouting was successfully in solving the main issues related to the incorporation of quinoa and sorghum in bread-making: bitterness and astringency in quinoa, and low protein digestibility in sorghum. Overall, sprouted grains can be incorporated in wheat-based formulations as new ingredients thanks to their ability to improve bread volume and crumb softness, as well as nutritional and sensory properties.