Abstract:
Traditional sour dough bread (Difo dabbo) was prepared from wholemeal wheat flour, soy-fortified wheat flour (Dubbie flour) and white flour. Yeast-raised bread was prepared from Dubbie flour by the straight-dough process. Sour dough fermentation of bread significantly reduced phytic acid content and increased the HCl-extarctability of calcium, iron, zinc and phosphorus. The extractability increased with an increase in the period of fermentation. Higher extractability of the minerals was obtained in white flour sour dough bread. Wholemeal wheat flour sour dough bread exhibited relatively lower extractability of the minerals compared to the other two sour dough breads. Significantly (p<0.05) lower values for HCl-extractability of minerals were observed in bread prepared by the straight dough process. The sour dough fermentation is an effective method for improving HCl-extractability and possibly the bioavailability of minerals which helps to prevent and ameliorate mineral deficiencies and improving the nutritional status of people consuming such food.
