Chemical Composition and Nutritional Profile of Quinoa Sourdough Enriched with Quinoa Malts

This study investigated the combined effects of quinoa malt addition (0%, 5%, 10%) and grain variety (white, red, black) on the nutritional and sensory properties of quinoa sourdoughs. Quinoa malt supplementation significantly (<i>p</i> < 0.05) enhanced fermentation characteristics, increasing titratable acidity from 20.0-20.4 to 21.2-23.8 mL NaOH/10 g and dynamic viscosity up to 733 ± 5.59 mPa·s compared to 474-611 mPa·s in controls. Malt enrichment expanded the volatile profile from predominantly alcohols and acids to include 25 distinct compounds spanning esters, terpenes, aldehydes, phenols, and furans, creating more complex aromatic profiles. Lactic acid production increased significantly in all malted samples, reaching 12.92 ± 0.00 g/kg in black quinoa with 10% malt. Black quinoa sourdoughs exhibited superior nutritional density with the highest protein (17.3 ± 0.1%), total dietary fiber (17.94 ± 0.14%), potassium (7896 ± 176 mg/kg), and manganese (55.65 ± 0.47 mg/kg) contents (<i>p</i> < 0.05). White quinoa variants demonstrated the highest acidity (pH 4.28 ± 0.01) and mineral bioavailability (magnesium: 5371 ± 70 mg/kg), while red quinoa achieved maximum viscosity (733 ± 5.59 mPa·s) and zinc content (38.08 ± 0.26 mg/kg). Volatile compound distribution varied significantly by variety, with white quinoa favoring ester and terpene formation, red quinoa promoting aldehydes and terpenes, and black quinoa accumulating phenols and furans. These findings demonstrate that strategic combination of quinoa variety selection and malt optimization can produce functionally enhanced, gluten-free sourdoughs with targeted nutritional and sensory characteristics for specialty bakery applications.