Optimization of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, yeast β-glucan, and whey protein levels based on physical properties of gluten-free rice bread using response surface methodology

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to analyze effects of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC), yeast β-glucan, and whey protein isolate (WPI) on physical properties of gluten-free bread baked from formulas based on rice starch. A Box-Behnken design with three independent variables (HPMC, yeast β-glucan, and WPI) and three levels was used to develop models for the different responses (physical properties). Individual contour plots of the different responses produced from the models were compared to the corresponding reference wheat bread data and were superimposed to locate gluten-free bread formulations that met the wheat bread standards for spread ratio, specific volume, hardness, cohesiveness, chewiness, and crumb color L∗ value. The optimal formulation, determined from the data, contained 4.35 g/100 g HPMC, 1 g/100 g β-glucan, and 0.37 g/100 g WPI, rice starch basis. Predicted values of the optimized bread were experimentally tested and compared with the experimental wheat bread data. A good agreement among these data was observed. Moreover, the optimized rice starch bread was found to be acceptable according to the results of sensory analysis.