Exploitation of sprouted barley grains and flour through sourdough fermentation

Nowadays, population growth and lifestyle modifications drives the demand for agricultural and food products, steering food manufacturers towards a deep innovation in the food design. Hence, the use of ingredients alternative to wheat flour, capable to fortify final products in proteins, fibers, bioactive compounds and to diversify the organoleptic profile of conventional staple foods, is strongly increasing. Among these ingredients, the demand for germinated seeds has risen due to the awareness of their connection with health and nutrition. In this scenario, in order to valorize highly environmentally sustainable crops, a local barley cultivar “Nure” was subjected to a partial and assisted sprouting process, obtaining flour and grains later fermented to produce type II sourdoughs. The germination process led to the reduction of starch and total dietary fibers (−58 and −48% compared to whole barley flour) and to the increase of phenolic compounds and protein bio-accessibility. Fermentation of sprouted barley (SB) with selected lactic acid bacteria determined a further enhancement of its nutritional features, by means of the increased free amino acids (up to 35%) and γ-aminobutyric acid concentrations (up to 57%), and decreased phytic acid content. Exploring the potential of SB sourdough as a bread-making ingredient revealed that the fermentation process effectively mitigated the negative effects on dough rheology and baking performance associated with the intense enzymatic activities in sprouted barley flour. Hence, beyond elevating bread's nutritional and technological attributes, the use of SB sourdoughs, providing native enzymes in a less invasive form, emerges as a promising tool to reduce or substitute commercial enzymes and flour improvers prevalent in the baking industry.