Nutritional Profiling and Sensory Characterization of Gluten-Free Bread Formulated with Fermented Sorghum Flour

Advances in Food Science and Technology | Vol. 14, No. 6, June 2026 | pp. 001–006

ISSN: 6732-4215

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Nutritional Profiling and Sensory Characterization of Gluten-Free Bread Formulated with Fermented Sorghum Flour

Names of Authors: Kofi Mensah¹, Amara Okafor²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹School of Nutrition and Food Security, University of Digital Sciences, Accra, Ghana; ²Department of Food Technology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nigeria

Abstract: Formulating high-quality gluten-free bread remains an engineering obstacle because removing wheat gluten networks typically leads to crumbly textures, low volume expansions, and poor protein ratings. This research investigated how substituting raw starch components with fermented sorghum flour fractions affects the texturometric and sensory indices of gluten-free pan bread. The sorghum raw grains were subjected to automated solid-state fermentation cycles utilizing Lactobacillus plantarum starter cultures over 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h windows. The fermented derivatives were mixed into baking matrices at inclusion tiers of 10% to 40% weight allocations. The experimental evaluations show that bread containing 30% sorghum flour fermented for 48 h achieved a 28.4% increase in specific loaf volume compared to control starches. Crumb hardness was optimized, dropping by 14.5 N due to uniform internal gas-cell distribution. Nutritional calculations revealed that adding fermented sorghum elevated total digestible iron contents by 42.1% and doubled total dietary fiber parameters. Sensory analysis verified excellent taste acceptance ratings across civilian consumer panels.

Keywords: Gluten-Free Bread, Sorghum Fermentation, Lactobacillus plantarum, Loaf Volume, Crumb Hardness, Nutritional Enhancement

Manuscript Timeline: Received: December 18, 2025; Revised: February 02, 2026; Accepted: March 15, 2026; Published: June 11, 2026

Citation: Mensah, K., & Okafor, A. (2026). Nutritional Profiling and Sensory Characterization of Gluten-Free Bread Formulated with Fermented Sorghum Flour. Advances in Food Science and Technology, 14(9), 001–006.

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