Quality Characteristics of Bagels added with Brewer’s Spent Grain

This study investigated the potential use of brewer’s spent grain (BSG), a food by-product, as a partial substitute for wheat flour in bagels and examined the resulting quality and sensory characteristics. Bagels were prepared with 0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, and 25% BSG, and each sample was analyzed for pH, moisture content, color, texture, difference test, and preference test. Increasing BSG levels led to higher pH and moisture content, while the lightness of both crust and crumb decreased. The redness of the crust decreased, whereas that of the crumb increased, and yellowness values declined overall. Texture analysis showed that hardness, gumminess, and chewiness increased, while cohesiveness and springiness decreased. In the difference test, volume, crust gloss, and cell size decreased, while crust brownness and cell uniformity increased. The intensity of raw soybean, nutty, and stale grain odors strengthened with higher BSG levels. Salty and bitter tastes became more prominent, whereas sweetness and flour flavor decreased. Preference test results showed that the control group scored the highest in all attributes. Overall, the findings confirmed the feasibility of using BSG in bread making and provided a basis for developing functional and sustainable baked products utilizing food by-products.