Waste from Artichoke Processing Industry: Reuse in Bread-Making and Evaluation of the Physico-Chemical Characteristics of the Final Product

A relevant amount of waste is produced in the canning industry of globe artichoke. This study proposes to use flours of artichoke waste (stems and bracts) in durum wheat bread-making, replacing the re-milled durum wheat semolina at increasing levels (5, 7.5 and 10 g/100 g). No study had evaluated this type of enrichment in durum wheat bread, widespread in the same area where artichoke waste is mostly produced. The replacement had a visible effect on the flour color, increasing a* and reducing b* and L*, and this was reflected in the color of bread crumb. The water absorption determined by farinography, dough development time and dough stability increased as the level of replacement increased (up to 71.2 g/100 g, 7.3 min and 18.4 min, respectively). The mixograph peak height and mixing time increased compared to control. The alveograph W decreased, while the P/L ratio increased. The artichoke waste-enriched breads had a lower volume (as low as 1.37 cm(3)/g) and were harder than control, but they did not show relevant moisture losses during five days of storage. The obtained data show therefore an interesting potential of artichoke waste flours in bread-making, but further investigations are needed for achieving improved quality features.