Use of pumpkin seed flour in preparation of bakery products

Introduction. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of pumpkin seed flour on the technological indicators of bakery products. Materials and methods. The flour from seeds of the large-fruited, hard-skinned variety “Pink Banana” pumpkin was used in the study. Microbiological processes in the dough were characterized by the gas-forming ability of the dough and the dynamics of gas formation. Biochemical processes in the dough were investigated by kinetics of sugars in the dough. Indicators of the quality of finished products were also studied. Results and discussion. “Pink Banana” pumpkin seed flour contains 3.8 times more protein and 3.5 times more fiber than wheat flour. The particle size of pumpkin seed flour is much larger than wheat wholemeal flour, so its application should affect the structural and mechanical properties of dough semi-finished products and finished bakery products. The water absorption capacity of pumpkin seed flour exceeds the corresponding value for wheat flour by 1.5 times. With an increase in the dosage of this additive the gas-forming capacity of the dough for bakery products decreased by 1.9–7.4% compared to the control sample without pumpkin seed flour and the amount of formed sugars decreased by 7.6–16.2%, but the amount of fermented sugars increased by 16.9–20.3%. The acidity of the crumb of products increased slightly, its specific volume decreased by 3.6–38.4% and porosity – by 1.4–4.1%. In finished bakery products, the protein content increased by 13.9–55.5% depending on the dosage of pumpkin seed flour, fiber content – by 12.07–48.7%, which indicates the ability of this raw material to significantly increase the nutritional value of products when it is included in the recipe. Conclusions. Replacing part of wheat flour in the recipes of bakery products by pumpkin seed flour can increase