Quality Evaluation of Gluten-Free Bread Formulated with Varying Levels of Cranberry Bean Flour

Gluten-free bakery products often suffer from poor nutritional, textural, and sensory qualities. Therefore, recent studies have increasingly focused on the use of functional ingredients, particularly legume flours, to enhance the overall quality of such products. In this study, cranberry bean (CB) flour was incorporated into a corn starch-based (100%) gluten-free bread formulation at substitution levels of 10%, 20%, and 30%, in order to improve product quality. The enriched samples were evaluated in terms of physicochemical properties, nutritional attributes, textural, and sensory properties. The results showed that, compared to the control, CB-enriched bread samples exhibited a gradual increase in protein, fat, ash, total dietary fiber, antioxidant-related parameters, and mineral content, with the highest values observed in the CB30 sample (p < 0.05). In addition, a significant decrease in product hardness was detected with increasing levels of CB flour in the formulation. According to the sensory evaluation, the level of CB flour usage did not affect the taste, and chewiness (p > 0.05); however, the CB30 sample received the highest scores for color, pore structure, and overall acceptability. In conclusion, enrichment of samples with 30% CB flour is considered sensorially acceptable and significantly enhances the product’s technological, textural, and nutritional quality.