Pea-wheat composite bread: Effects of milling methods and NIR spectral insights

Utilizing locally grown peas in bread-making offers environmental, nutritional, and economic advantages, yet pea milling remains underexplored compared to wheat. Optimizing pea flour processing is critical, as its integration with wheat can drastically alter baking performance. This study evaluated the impact of three milling techniques: roller mill (RM), hammer mill (HM) and cutting mill (CM). The pea flours were blended in a 15 %/85 % (pea/wheat) ratio and bread profiling was assessed. Additionally, flour and bread were analysed using NIR spectroscopy. Pea flour increased bread protein content. Considering the milling yield, bread characteristics and spectral analysis undertaken, this study suggests that the hammer mill is the most effective method for bread-making. NIR spectroscopy effectively distinguished formulations despite composition similarities enabling product standardization. Furthermore, NIR uniquely classified diverse breads by storage time, highlighting its potential for bread staling assessment.