Enzymatic Treatment of Sprouted Wheat and Buckwheat Modulates In Vitro Starch Digestibility and Technological Quality of Wheat Bread

This study evaluated whether sprouting followed by amylolytic enzyme treatment can modify starch digestibility in wheat bread while assessing associated changes in technological quality. Wheat and common buckwheat were germinated for 12–48 h; 24 h was selected for subsequent treatment with α-amylase and glucoamylase. Based on preliminary screening, wheat was treated at 35 °C for 12 h and buckwheat at 40 °C for 12 h. Sprouted or enzyme-treated sprouted ingredients were incorporated into wheat bread at 10, 15, and 20% of flour mass. Rapidly digestible starch (RDS), slowly digestible starch (SDS), resistant starch (RS), loaf volume, porosity, and titratable acidity were evaluated. In bread containing enzyme-treated sprouted wheat, increasing inclusion from 10 to 20% decreased RDS from 76.58 to 73.42% and increased SDS from 14.05 to 17.00%; a second independent series showed the same pattern. Enzyme-treated sprouted buckwheat produced higher RS values, reaching 11.61% at 10% inclusion. Wheat-based enzyme-treated formulations also retained comparatively favorable loaf volumes, whereas higher buckwheat inclusion reduced volume. These results indicate crop-specific effects of enzymatic pretreatment and support further evaluation of enzyme-treated sprouted cereals as ingredients for modulating in vitro starch digestibility in bread.