Proximate composition, Functional and Sensory Properties of Bread from Cooking Banana and Wheat Flour

Cooking bananas have a characteristic starchy taste, and are not preferable to consume raw as a dessert one. Formulations of foods from these bananas are vital to enhance its utilization and the dietary diversity. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of four cooking banana varieties for bread production by blending them with wheat flour at a ratio of 15:85 based on sensory acceptance during preliminary trials. Bread prepared from 100% wheat flour was used as a control. In this study, Proximate composition and functional properties of flour samples and sensory acceptability of bread were evaluated using standard methods. The findings indicated that the percentages of moisture, ash, fiber, fat, protein, and carbohydrate for wheat and wheat-cooking banana composite flour were ranged from 7.44 to 8.78, 1.20-2.68, 2.53-4.10, 0.60-4.50, 4.71-11.38, and 71.24 -83.8, respectively, with the energy value of 356.47 to 370.98 Kcal/100g. The results of proximate composition showed that bread developed from a mixture of Matoke cooking banana and wheat was superior over the others composite blends but lower than that of 100% wheat flour, except for carbohydrate contents. In addition, functional properties such as water absorption capacity (0.75-1.41mL/g), swelling power (6.35-6.78 g/g), solubility (38-83.50%), oil absorption capacity (1.20-1.60mL/g), dispersibility (69.5-73%), and bulk density (0.78-1.01 g/mL) were varied among samples. Bread made from a mixture of Cardaba cooking banana and wheat was most preferred among the cooking banana-wheat blends upon sensory evaluation. Overall, blending of cooking bananas with wheat can produce nutritious and acceptable bread alternatives, and enhanced dietary diversity.