This study was designed to investigate the quality characteristics of pan bread prepared with sourdough starters containing different levels of wheat bran and to compare them with bread made using commercial dry yeast. Six bread samples were prepared (CON: T55 + dry yeast, B0: T55 + sourdough starter, B1∼B4: 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% wheat bran) and analyzed for moisture content, specific volume, darkness, texture profile, and sensory attributes. Results showed that higher wheat bran levels significantly reduced specific volume, increased crumb darkness, and increased hardness. CON exhibited lower crumb darkness and lower hardness than B0 and the bran‑added groups (B1∼B4), indicating a softer texture. Descriptive sensory analysis of appearance and texture confirmed that, as wheat bran levels increased from B1 to B4, perceived volume decreased, perceived hardness increased, and both crust and crumb appeared darker. Compared with higher addition levels (B3∼B4), moderate levels (B1 ∼B2) showed smaller reductions in specific volume and smaller increases in darkness and hardness. In conclusion, selecting moderate wheat bran levels may help manage the trade‑offs among darkness, hardness, and specific volume, while fermentation method and wheat bran level significantly influence both physicochemical and sensory characteristics.
Chung et al. (Sat,) studied this question.