Effect of fermentation conditions of bread dough on the sensory and nutritional properties of French bread

The study aimed to evaluate the impact of long and short fermentation on the sensory and nutritional properties of French sourdough and yeast bread. The long fermentation was performed at low temperatures, and is close to “artisanal processes”, while the short fermentation was performed at higher temperatures, and is associated with “intensive processes” used in industries. Reducing sugars and amino compounds, precursors of the Maillard reaction, were analyzed in the doughs; while aromas, acrylamide, and melanoidins were quantified in the breads. The study was completed by a sensory analysis performed by a trained panel. The results showed that the content of reducing sugars was highly influenced by the fermentation conditions. On the other hand, proteolysis was limited in both types of bread, especially in yeast bread. In yeast bread, long fermentation favored the generation of aromas from yeast metabolism in the dough, but limited the formation of aromas from the Maillard reaction in the crust. In sourdough bread, long fermentation promoted the Maillard reaction and aromas from the metabolism of lactic acid bacteria, and had a positive effect on the sensory perception of the crust and crumb. In both types of bread, long fermentation contributed to the decrease of acrylamide content, even though the overall acrylamide content was low regardless of the type of fermentation.