Recent trends in cereal chemistry emphasize sustainable food systems and functional fortification through upcycling and gluten reduction. This study addresses the challenges of reformulating wheat bakery products with four technologically distinct oat forms at three levels (5, 10, 15% substitution of wheat flour) by focusing on dough's structural integrity. While conventional farinographic metrics such as Stability (STA) or Degree of Dough Softening (DSD) usually are not able to capture the dynamic fatigue of the gluten-starch matrix of wheat dough, several innovative kinetic descriptors are introduced, e.g., dough development slope angle (DDSA), and the time-resolved of both the dough curve width (DW) and farinograph elasticity loss (FEL) foursomes. Analytical results revealed that fiber-rich oat bran induced a mechanical 'pseudostabilization', whereas germinated diastatic malt caused a severe enzymatically driven structural collapse of wheat dough cohesiveness. This degradation was corroborated by a sharp non-linear decline in Falling Number (from 482 s to 196 s) and by a dramatic rise in the DSD/STA ratio (from 6.4 to 149.2). Statistical analysis indicated the proposed descriptors, particularly late-stage DW15-DW20 and FEL15-FEL20, provided more sensitive associations with quality parameters of small round breads baked at a laboratory scale-height, bread slice area, and specific volume-than traditional static indicators of the farinogram. As usual in such cases, a critical threshold of wheat flour substitution was identified at 10-15%. These results demonstrate that time-resolved kinetic modeling of dough elasticity serves as a robust complementary tool for predicting baking performance, enabling the rational optimization of formulations and the prevention of structural defects in industrial production.

The conventional interpretation of Mixolab curves describing wheat dough behavior under simultaneous mechanical and thermal stress was substantially extended by introducing a series of novel kinetic and geometrical descriptors. In addition to the standard Mixolab parameters, new indexes of Mechanical Weakening of Proteins (MWP), Thermo-Mechanical Weakening of Proteins (TMW), several traits aiming at stability of dough consistency (STAC1 rel, C12/STAC1), Structural Recovery Index (C5/C1), micro-scaled torque change rates (ΔmCij) and physical angular descriptors (slopes omega°, delta°) were developed to characterize individual phases of viscoelastic dough transformation to the solidified bread crumb-like material. The approach was applied to investigate the effects of four chemically distinct essential oils (EOs), namely cinnamon, oregano, lemongrass, and thyme ones, incorporated into wheat flour at five concentration levels (5–80 mg · 100 g–1 flour). Besides those all innovations, selected standard Mixolab torque-parameters were informatively recalculated to the Brabender units—to be easily compared to the Farinograph proof results, because this rheological test represents the standard in the cereal chemistry and technology branch. Adaptation of the Principal Components Analysis lies in: i) using of the Variance Components Analysis in a role of the input data filter and ii) unfolding of the 3D-space to 2D-surfaces pair of plots along the shared PC2 coordinate. Conventional Mixolab parameters revealed that cinnamon and oregano oils significantly weakened the gluten network, reducing dough stability and lowering the minimum protein-related torque C2, whereas lemongrass oil preserved the protein stability at levels comparable to the control flour. Oregano and thyme oils significantly increased the final torque C5, indicating enhanced starch retrogradation and formation of a firmer structure of the cooled gel. The innovative descriptors provided substantially deeper insight into these transformations. Cinnamon oil generated the highest MWP values (up to 18.5 %), indicating pronounced mechanically induced gluten weakening. In contrast, lemongrass oil maintained MWP values close to the control while accelerating starch gelatinization and hot-gel breakdown, reflected by elevated beta° values and steepened gamma° slopes. Oregano and thyme oils reduced the gelatinization kinetics but markedly supported the retrogradation-related parameters, including C54, slope delta°, and the C5/C1 ratio, indicating enhanced structural recovery during cooling. Correlation analysis confirmed that the innovative descriptors captured complementary information and exhibited substantially lower redundancy than conventional Mixolab variables. Before Principal Components Analysis from 34 variables in total, Variance Components Analysis identified 17 representative parameters with the highest distinguishing power; Principal Component Analysis demonstrated two-component model of PC1 and PC2 explained 72% of total experimental variability and reduced data noise to only 6 % (per contra to 61% and 14%, respectively, in the case of the standard Mixolab parameters). The multivariate models clearly differentiated essential oils according to their chemical composition and dose-dependent rheological effects on water-dough behavior. The results demonstrated chemically distinct essential oils influence on wheat dough rheology through different mechanisms affecting protein weakening, starch gelatinization, hot-gel stability, and starch retrogradation. The proposed kinetic and geometrical descriptors substantially enhance the interpretive capacity of Mixolab analysis and provide a valuable tool for mechanistic–kinetic investigation of functional ingredients in cereal-based systems.

Sustainable agriculture has become a major priority in modern agricultural research and practice due to increasing concerns regarding climate change, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and long-term food security. In this context, soil-conserving cultivation systems, such as no-till and reduced tillage technologies, are increasingly promoted because they improve soil structure, enhance water retention and organic matter accumulation, reduce erosion, and contribute to more environmentally sustainable crop production systems. This study evaluated the effects of selected sustainable agricultural technologies, including no-till, minimum tillage, and mulch-till soil tillage systems, on the nutritional composition of grains of spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), and corn (Zea mays L.). The contents of starch, total dietary fibre, beta-glucans, proteins, and lipids were analysed in mature grains during two years of cultivation. The type of cereal was the dominant factor determining grain composition. Corn showed the highest starch (77.20%) and lipid (3.66%) contents, wheat accumulated the highest protein concentration (12.02%), and barley was characterized by the highest total dietary fibre (13.36%) and beta-glucans (3.75%) contents. Significant negative correlations were detected between starch and dietary fibre (r = −0.823) and between starch and beta-glucans (r = −0.827), indicating metabolic trade-offs between storage and structural compounds. Harvest year significantly influenced proteins, total dietary fibre, and lipids, whereas soil tillage exerted a weaker and metabolite-specific effect. No-till tillage technology generally promoted higher total dietary fibre, beta-glucans, and lipid contents. Principal component analysis confirmed cereal species as the major source of variability, followed by harvest year, while soil tillage showed comparatively limited effects. The results demonstrate that cereal grain nutritional quality is governed primarily by genotype, with environmental and agronomic factors acting as secondary modifiers.

The formation of acrylamide was investigated in salty crackers enriched with cricket powder (Acheta domesticus) since its addition increases the free asparagine content. Cricket powder additions (5, 10, 15 %) were tested on crackers prepared with white wheat flour or whole grain wheat flour, baked for 25, 35 and 45 min at 180 °C. Additionally, chloropropandiols (2- and 3-MCPD) fatty acid esters and glycidol fatty acid esters were investigated. Acrylamide increased significantly after the addition of cricket powder and a prolonged baking time, especially in crackers containing white wheat flour. Although 2-MCPD and glycidol were not affected by the addition of cricket powder, 3-MCPD increased especially in crackers baked for 45 min. Crackers enriched with 5 % cricket powder were sensorially the most preferred.

This study investigated the chemical composition and sensory acceptability of yeasted steamed wheat dumplings – a typical Central European side dish – that were fortified with wholegrain oat flours derived from two distinct cultivars – hull-less Inovec and hulled Prokop. The flours were used at 7 substitution levels, ranging from 2.5 to 25.0%. Chemical analysis of both flour mixtures and steamed dumplings revealed a significant modulation of macronutrient profiles with increasing oat inclusion. As presumed, the β-d-glucans content increased proportionally with the addition of oats, reaching up to 1.23% in flour mixtures (Prokop) and 0.80% in steamed dumplings (Inovec). Furthermore, enrichment by oat resulted in higher protein (up to 15.05%), lipid (up to 12.13%), and dry matter contents, while reducing starch levels. Two-factorial ANOVA attributed the most variance in nutritional traits (e.g., 87% for β-d-glucans) to the level of wheat flour substitution, with minor effects coming from the oat variety. The correlation analysis confirmed strong formulation-dependent trends, particularly for β-d-glucans (r = 0.972), lipids (r = 0.919), and proteins (r = 0.831), with the thermal stability of key nutrients demonstrated in all processing stages. Sensory evaluation revealed an inverse relationship between oat content and dumplings acceptability, primarily due to undesirable changes in color, aroma, and texture at higher inclusion levels. Multivariate PCA and two-way joining heatmap analysis highlighted that measurable nutritional enhancement was evident from the addition of just 2.5% oat flour, while the most favorable balance between an improved nutrient profile and retained sensory attributes was observed at inclusion levels of 10–15%. Oat Inovec-enriched samples exhibited superior protein and lipid content yet were more prone to sensory degradation at high inclusion rates. Overall, fortification with oat flours at levels of up to 10–15% is identified as an effective strategy for developing nutritionally enriched, fiber-rich yeasted steamed products with minimal sensory compromise. The findings emphasize the importance of balancing nutritional gains with sensory acceptability in the design of functional cereal-based foods.

Salty wheat crackers prepared from wheat white (WF) and whole grain flour (WG) were enriched with 5, 10, and 15% cricket powder (CRPW). According to the content of dietary fiber and fat, two types of wheat flour and CRPW differed in terms of darkness “100 − L*” and redness a*. The color of the baked products reflected these differences, but the darkening of the whole grain crackers was less intense; the shades of wheat–cricket 90:10 and whole grain 100:0 cracker variants were comparable. Within the WF subset, the hardness diminished insignificantly, with the reverse occurring in the WG group (from 25 to 22 N and from 31 to 35 N, respectively). The flexibility of the crackers was independent on type of wheat flour and the proportion of CRPW, as shown by a 90% confidence interval of 0.97–1.06 mm. By Principal Component Analysis, the primary role of wheat flour type in distinguishing the crackers was confirmed. As expected, the darkness “100 − L*” and the redness a* of the cracker surface could be used to predict the results of the texture breaking test and fragility in general (P = 95%). The 90:10 WF–cricket crackers and 95:5 WG–cricket crackers had similar properties, and both could be adopted in baking practice without modification.

The technological quality of the protein fraction of wheat white flour (WW) was determined by the lactic acid Solvent Retention Capacity and by the Gluten Performance Index (LA -SRC and GPI; AACC method 56-11.01). Parallelly, Perten's standard Gluten Index test (GI; AACC method 38-12.02) was performed with that wheat control. Consequently, the same methods were applied to 9 bi-composite blends mixed at ratios of 90 : 10, 80 : 20, 70 : 30, 60 : 40, 50 : 50, ..., and 10 : 90 as WW replacement with one of the rye bread flours (RB), and the RB control itself. Unlike successful measurements in the case of the LA -SRC and GPI, washing gluten from the first 90 WW : 10 RB blend led to the clogging of the Glutomatic sieve, likely due to the interaction of wheat gluten with rye arabinoxylans. The discrepancy induced the development of a modification of the standard GI procedure; clogging was avoided by precipitating flour and centrifuging the swollen solid from suspension, similarly like in the SRC method. The settled residue transported to a standard sieve cassette was secondly centrifuged in the original apparatus Perten CF2015. The weighing of the overflow and underflow of the sieve and the calculation of the results were performed according to the original GI method. For the WW control, the standard GI value was 90% and the modified Gluten Index value (GImodif) was 82%. As expected for WW-RB counterparts, the higher the portion of rye in the bi-composite blend, the lower the value of the GImodf. For the 50 WW : 50 RB blend and the RB itself, the GImodfvalues were 47% and 18% (the GPI values 0.66, 0.45, and 0.39, respectively). On the contrary, the LA -SRC demonstrated a convex course (118, 104, and 123%, respectively). In the plane of the principal components (PC), namely PC1 and PC2, the variables related to gluten quality formed 4 groups as a function of the stepwise change in the mixing ratio of WW and RB: i) flour protein content, GPI, and GImodf; ii) LA -SRC; iii) dietary fibre content and ash content; iv) water, sucrose, and sodium carbohydrate SRCs. However, the modified test procedure should be revised in wheat varieties characterised by a wider spectrum of protein quality, mixed with different types of rye flour (especially wholegrain one).

Consumers are more interested in replacing commonly used chemical preservatives with natural substances. The effect of 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 mg of thyme and lemongrass essential oils (THY and LMG, respectively) per 100 g of wheat flour was studied from the viewpoints of dough rheology, dough leavening progress, and the results of laboratory baking trial. Changes in dough viscoelastic properties were evaluated by the Mixolab rheometer and the company software. The higher the thyme oil portion, the higher the dough structure destruction by kneading and heat input in torque point C2, and consecutively shorter stability of dough consistency (up to one-half of the values recorded for the control); reversely, the LMG did not affect both features verifiably. In the 90 min leavening test, a dough weight loss was decelerated by both essential oils similarly. During the baking test, the average volume of wheat small breads as control was evaluated on level 167 mL (bread yield 451 mL/100 g flour). Independently of the dose of the THY or LMG, small bread volumes oscillated between 148–168 and 135–161 mL (average bread yields 442 and 443 mL/100 g flour, respectively). The shelf life of the products with a higher portion of essential oil was extended by up to 7 days.

Common bakery and many other cereal products are characterised by high glycaemic index values. Given the increasing number of people suffering from type 2 diabetes at a very young age, technological approaches to reduce the glycaemic index of cereal products are extremely important. In addition to increasing the dietary fibre content, either by using wholemeal flours or flours with added fibre from other sources, practices leading to an increase in resistant starch content are also of great interest. This review summarises the most important technological processes used to reduce the glycaemic index of bread and other bakery products. The summarization shows that the potential of various technological processes or their physical and physicochemical modifications to reduce the glycaemic index of common bakery products exists. At the same time, however, it has been shown that these processes have not been sufficiently explored, let alone applied in production practice.

Wheat bran separated in the standard milling process as a by-product contains many substances of importance in livestock and human nutrition. In the Czech Republic, as in other Central European countries, a significant part of the bran is not traditionally used as a raw material for feed production and is used as a heating fuel. This means that many interesting and health-promoting components of fiber, phenolic compounds, vitamins, proteins, and minerals are lost. The bran is made up of particles of the grain outer coating and sub-coating layers, particularly the pericarp, testa, and aleurone layer. Their composition varies, but while the pericarp in particular is largely composed of cellulose and lignin, the testa and aleurone layer contain many valuable non-starch polysaccharides (hemicelluloses), as well as the macro- and micronutrients mentioned above. Wholemeal flours contain all the anatomical parts of the grain mentioned above, which brings both technological problems in terms of their bakery processing and a not always acceptable sensory impact on the products. This paper summarizes selected physical and physicochemical methods that can be used to remove those components that may cause technological and sensory problems and retain those that, on the other hand, represent a significant nutritional benefit.

With a suitable milling system, it is achievable to produce wholegrain flours that match the granulation and technological properties of refined flours while maintaining a complete nutritional profile. This process also minimizes the generation of additional industrial waste. This study aimed to characterize wholemeal flours with a fine granulation size of less than 160 µm: wheat (MWF), rye (MRF), spelt (MSF), barley (MBF), buckwheat (MBWF), and sorghum (MSGF). For comparison, the plain wheat flour type 530 (T530) was analyzed. The flours were assessed in terms of their chemical compositions and alpha amylase activities (the Falling Number assay), pasting properties (amylograph and a Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA)), water absorption using a farinograph, and technological quality based on their water (WRC) and sodium carbonate solvent retention capacity (SRC) profiles. Among the micronized wholemeal flours, wheat flour (MWF) exhibited the highest nutritional value, greatest water absorption, and highest final gelatinization temperature, but had the lowest energy value, carbohydrate content, water SRC, and sodium carbonate SRC. Wholemeal rye flour (MRF) displayed the lowest nutrient content and the highest amylolytic activity, water absorption, and sodium carbonate SRC. The plain wheat flour type 530 (T530) had the lowest water absorption. Special buckwheat flour (MBWF) showed the highest energy value due to its elevated carbohydrate content, along with the lowest sugar and TDF contents, amylolytic activity, and pasting temperature.

The study aims to compare three methods used for the evaluation of water absorption of wheat flour: a) a direct method consisting of a standard procedure on a Farinograph-E device and b) two indirect methods, namely NIR spectroscopy and centrifugation. Forty-four samples of Czech food wheat were collected from the harvest year 2021. Namely, 23 samples of food wheat from the standard maturity collection ‘SM2’ and 21 samples from the early maturity collection ‘EM2’. All wheat samples were ground to obtain wheat flour of fine granulation. The flour samples were characterised by protein and ash content of 10.55-14.75% and of 0,59-0.63%, respectively. The water absorption ranged from 55.7% to 63.2% flour weight (Farinograph standard procedure), 60.1-67.1% flour weight (NIR spectroscopy), and 67.6-77.2% flour weight (centrifugation). Based on the results obtained by ANOVA statistical analysis, no significant difference was found for all qualitative parameters of SM2 and EM2 (p = 95%). According to the mentioned methods for both indirect determinations of water absorption in the sets SM2 and EM2, the prediction of the standard farinograph water absorption was more accurate using the NIR technique (minimal and maximal pair differences of 1.01 and 6.86 percentage points, in contrast to 1.78 and 14.87 percentage points for the centrifugation method). Linear regression confirmed the primary importance of protein content for the water absorption values. Also, the ash content should be considered because it reflects the dietary fibre level, and the fibre influences the water absorption values as well.

A traditional Czech bakery white bread product is commonly made with directly mixed dough with the addition of yeast. In order to be able to reduce the salt content of the final product without compromising its acceptability to consumers, the dough was prepared with the addition of pre-ferments and wheat sourdoughs. The aim was to deepen the flavour background of the product and thus have a positive effect on its sensory properties. Wheat sourdoughs were prepared and tested using starter cultures and matured under different conditions. The resulting products were tested both sensorially and by means of precise physical methods.

This study aimed to characterize special micronized wholemeal flours with a fine granulation size of less than 160 μm. The flours under investigation included wheat, rye, spelt, barley, buckwheat, sorghum, and teff. Various parameters were investigated to characterize the flours, including moisture, energy value, fat, carbohydrates, sugars, total protein, ash, and total dietary fiber (TDF). The falling number of the flours was assessed using the Hagberg–Perten method. Furthermore, the pasting properties of tested flours were analyzed using an amylograph, and a Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). The water absorption of the wholemeal flours was examined using a farinograph. Additionally, the technological quality of the tested material was assessed based on the water (WRC) and sodium carbonate Solvent Retention Capacity (SRC) profile. Among the analyzed micronized flours, special wheat flour (WWF) had the highest nutritional value, and rye flour (WRF) was characterized by the lowest nutrient content and the highest amylolytic activity. The lowest levels of water absorption were found in special teff flour (WTF). The lowest TDF content and amylolytic activity were found in special buckwheat flour (WBWF).

Buckwheat is returning to the countries of Central Europe; there are several reasons for this: firstly, due to its interesting chemical composition (proteins, fibre, and phenolic compounds), which is reflected in its nutritional value and potential health benefits. Secondly, because buckwheat, and buckwheat flour especially, are suitable raw materials for the production of gluten-free foods. Buckwheat flours are classified similarly to wheat flours, but the different anatomy of wheat grains and buckwheat seeds makes this classification partly misleading. While wheat flours are largely produced by one standard process, the production process for buckwheat flours is more varied. For wheat and wheat flours, the basic quality parameters and their required ranges for different types of primary and secondary processing are clearly defined. This is not the case for buckwheat and buckwheat flours, and the definition of the parameters and their ranges that characterize its technological quality remain unclear. The standardization of quality parameters and production processes is likely to be necessary for the potential expansion of the use of buckwheat for food production and, in particular, for bakery products.

Buckwheat is returning to the countries of Central Europe. There are several reasons for this: firstly, because of its interesting chemical composition, which is reflected in its nutritional value and potential health benefits. And secondly because buckwheat, and especially buckwheat flour, are suitable raw materials for the production of gluten-free foods. Buckwheat flours are classified similarly to wheat flours, but the different anatomy of wheat grains and buckwheat seeds makes this classification partly misleading. While wheat flours are largely produced by one standard process, the production process for buckwheat flours is more varied. For wheat and wheat flours, the basic quality parameters and their required ranges for different types of primary and secondary processing are clearly defined. This is not the case for buckwheat and buckwheat flours, and the definition of the parameters and their ranges that characterize its technological quality remain unclear. The standardization of quality parameters and production processes is likely to be necessary for the potential expansion of the use of buckwheat for food production and in particular for bakery products.

Wheat/hemp and wheat/teff model composites were prepared as 90:10 and 80:20 w/w blends, using two different Czech commercial wheat flour samples (standards M, M1) and bright/dark forms of these non-traditional crops flour. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of alternative flour samples on the blend compositional profiles including dietary fibre content, on the technological quality described by modern Solvent Retention Capacity method and on laboratory baking test results. According to seeds composition, nutritional flour enrichment reached higher levels of protein (from approx. 13.0% about 30% vs. 6%) and fibre contents (from approx. 3.3% about 50% vs. 30%) in the case of hemp and teff samples. In terms of the SRC profile, the qualitatively better sample M was weakened by hemp flour additions, while somewhat worse sample M1 was improved by teff flour additions. Results from the baking test showed that the hemp composites were partly dependent on hemp flour form. Volumes of bread with bright hemp were diminished from 257 mL/100g up to 196 mL/100g, the products containing dark hemp increased up to 328 mL/100g. Teff-fortified bun volumes were evaluated in close range of 325 - 369 mL/100g against 381 mL/100g for standard M1. Sensorial score of wheat/hemp breads were worse owing to spicy taste and fatty aftertaste, while hay-like by-taste in wheat/teff bread could be tolerable of 10% in recipe.

Buckwheat is a pseudocereal with significant nutritional qualities and a wide potential for use in the food industry. Buckwheat flours were characterized and they were subsequently used for the preparation of gluten-free sourdoughs. Buckwheat sourdoughs were made under different process conditions (sourdough yield, time, temperature, the presence of a starter fermentation culture) and analysed (pH, TTA, microbiology assessment). The prepared sourdoughs were successfully used as bread recipe ingredients. The antifungal activity of sourdough bread was determined.

The presented work aims at progressive method of the combined estimation of pasting properties of polysaccharides and the technological quality of proteins by using the viscometer Rapid Visco Analyzer, namely the Wheat Flour Ethanol Method profile. The viscosity record during 30 min includes two viscosity peaks; by comparison of ones for standard white wheat flour, wheat starch of A- type and wheat gluten, the peaks were identified successfully. By adding 12% wheat gluten into finely milled lentil flour, the validity of the peak pair identification was also confirmed also for this legume material.

Abstract Food texture is traditionally evaluated using texturometers. On a pilot scale, four samples of graham or cheese salted sticks were measured by using the apparatus Extensograph-E. The equipment is originally designed for evaluation of the viscoelastic properties of wheat flour dough. The extensograph resistance as the height of gained curves has been closely correlated with the weight of the broken samples (ranges 59-1506 units and 3.11-19.38 g, respectively), representing the hardness of the salted sticks. As presumed, extensigraph elasticity and curve width were measured at close intervals 5.00-10.00 mm due to brittle character of the material tested. Similarly, neither the deformation energy as the area under the curve could be used for the samples discrimination (range 0.59-11.00 cm2). The hardness of cheese type and graham counterpart was statistically similar – the extensograph resistance means of fifty items were 559±381 and 500±352 units. According to the producer, the least, both tested graham stick samples could be differentiated - the corresponding means of fifty items were 367±293 and 632±361 units). Finally, only the extensibility of salted sticks was correlated with the declared contents of saccharides, proteins, and fat (r = −0.52, −0.56, and 0.49 for N = 100 and P = 95%).