Abstract
Consumer interest in health-enhancing supplemented flour-based products has increased over the past decade. Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), a high-value root crop, is a potential ingredient since it contains natural pigments, antioxidants, and disease-resistance qualities. But its limited shelf life due to moisture loss, sprouting, and rotting restricts it for direct use. Its flour conversion (SPF) prolongs its shelf life and allows its use in bakery foods. The current research examined the impact of adding various percentages of sweet potato flour (0%, 10%, 15%, and 20%) to wheat flour on the physico-chemical, proximate, mineral, and sensory characteristics of bread. Outcomes indicated extremely significant differences between treatments. Moisture content increased from 33.50 ± 0.42% (T0) to 38.04 ± 0.04% (T3), ash from 1.09 ± 0.05% to 2.45 ± 0.03%, and crude fat from 2.51 ± 0.02% to 4.77 ± 0.02%, while crude protein decreased from 12.01 ± 0.02% to 8.42 ± 0.02%. Among minerals, Na rose from 415.67 ± 0.05 mg/kg (T0) to 562.88 ± 0.03 mg/kg (T3), Ca from 3.56 ± 0.04 mg/kg to 5.15 ± 0.02 mg/kg, and Fe from 0.38 ± 0.04 mg/kg to 0.60 ± 0.08 mg/kg, whereas K declined from 390.56 ± 0.04 mg/kg to 150.96 ± 0.03 mg/kg. Gumminess decreased from 47.32 ± 0.04 to 18.46 ± 0.03, while chewiness increased from 9.25 ± 0.05 to 37.05 ± 0.03 with SPF addition. Sensory analysis indicated that the breads supplemented with 10–15% SPF showed best flavor, texture, and acceptability. Sweet potato flour enrichment overall greatly improved the nutritional and sensory quality of wheat bread. Replacing 10–15% SPF is advisable for making nutrient-rich, consumer-acceptable bread that helps in mitigating malnutrition and enhancing food security in Pakistan.