The Effect of the Partial Baking Method on the Quality, Volatile Compounds Profile, and Glycemic Index of Some Traditional Turkish Bread Types

This study evaluated the effects of the partial baking (par-baking) method on bread quality, staling properties, volatile compound profile, and estimated glycemic index (eGI) of some traditional Turkish bread types, and compared the results with those of regular bread (RB). Bread samples resembling Afyonkarahisar potato bread and Vakfıkebir bread were produced under laboratory conditions and named Afyonkarahisar potato style bread (APSB) and Vakfıkebir style bread (VKSB). APSB and VKSB were subjected to par-baking (7 min at 220 °C for APSB and 9 min at 220 °C for VKSB), followed by frozen storage at −18 °C for up to 60 days and final baking. Also, quality changes in the breads after final baking were assessed over 5 days (days 0, 1, 3, and 5) and compared with conventionally baked control samples. The reduction in specific volume due to par-baking was more pronounced in regular bread than in the traditional bread samples. Hardness values of par-baked breads increased significantly after 60 days of frozen storage for all bread types (p < 0.05). Storage of breads after final baking caused substantial changes in textural properties, but no significant differences were observed in terms of staling rate among the non-par-baked samples during 5 days of storage at room temperature (p = 0.078). VKSB consistently exhibited the lowest eGI values for both the non-par-baked group and the par-baked group. Principal component analysis (PCA) clearly separated the volatile compound profiles of non-par-baked breads (VKSB-Day 0 and APSB-Day 0) from those of regular bread and par-baked breads. The findings of this study suggest that par-baking technology is a promising approach for breads similar to traditional breads, enabling wider consumption without marked quality deterioration up to 30 days and resulting in a lower estimated glycemic index (eGI) than regular bread.