Development and Nutritional Evaluation of Lentil-Wheat Composite Bread

The purpose of the present study was to formulate nutritionally enriched wheat bread using partial replacement of wheat flour with lentil flour and to assess the nutritional, physicochemical, textural, color and sensory properties of this bread. Wheat flour was substituted by lentil flour at the levels of 0, 5, 10, 15 and 20 to prepare composite breads. Increasing lentil flour incorporation significantly (p < 0.05) improved the nutritional profile of bread by increasing protein (10.60–13.45%), crude fiber (1.05-2.70%), ash (1.15-1.72%), gross energy (267-282 kcal/100 g), and mineral contents, while carbohydrate content decreased from 51.10 to 44.78%. Loaf weight increased, whereas loaf volume, specific volume, water activity, and color lightness (L*) decreased with increasing substitution levels. Texture profile analysis revealed increased hardness, gumminess, and chewiness, accompanied by reductions in springiness, cohesiveness, and resilience. Sensory evaluation showed that bread containing 10% lentil flour achieved the highest overall acceptability, while higher substitution levels slightly reduced sensory scores due to changes in texture and color. Overall, incorporation of lentil flour effectively enhanced the nutritional quality of wheat bread, and a 10% substitution level was identified as the optimum formulation, providing the best balance between nutritional improvement, technological quality, and consumer acceptability.