Development of garlic bread enriched with finger millet: Analysis of physical properties

Bread, is a staple food derived from a dough of flour and water, has been a significant part of the human diet since the advent of agriculture. Despite its long history, research on incorporating millets into bakery products remains limited. This study explores the potential of replacing wheat flour with finger millet in bread-making to enhance nutritional and functional properties while promoting locally grown crops. The primary objective is to formulate garlic bread by incorporating finger millet. Wheat flour was replaced with finger millet at various proportions 10, 15, 20 and 25 % in the bread preparation (FM: WF 10:73, 15:68, 20:63, 25: 58%). The developed breads were evaluated for physical, sensory and nutritional characteristics. It was observed that bread prepared with 20% finger millet and 63% wheat flour was highly accepted according to sensory evaluation. The physical properties of sensory acceptable treatment 20% finger millet and 63% wheat flour such as height, weight, volume and specific volume were 5.30 cm, 355.74 g, 1250.02 cm3, and 3.51 cm3/g respectively. It was observed that physical properties height, volume and specific volume decreased significantly with increased levels of finger millet whereas the weight of the bread increased as the finger millet increased.