Effect of sweet potato flour substitution on the sensory characteristics of mini bun bread using principal component analysis

Indonesia’s growing dependence on imported wheat flour highlights the need to incorporate local carbohydrate sources into bakery products. This study evaluated mini bun bread in which wheat flour was partially substituted with orange-fleshed sweet potato flour (0–30%) and examined the resulting sensory characteristics using both univariate and multivariate approaches. Mini buns were produced using a completely randomized design and assessed by 25 semi-trained panelists for colour, aroma, taste, and texture on a five-point hedonic scale. ANOVA and Tukey’s test were applied, followed by principal component analysis (PCA) of mean sensory scores. Substitution levels of 10–20% yielded hedonic scores for all attributes comparable to the control, with 20% substitution providing the most desirable colour and aroma, and 10% the highest scores for taste and texture. At 30%, texture decreased significantly. PCA showed that two principal components explained 100% of the variance, with colour and aroma closely associated with 20% substitution and texture negatively associated with 30%. Overall, 10–20% sweet potato flour is recommended as an optimal range, whereas higher levels would require technological improvements to maintain texture.