Technological quality of bread from rice flour with Spirulina

Aiming to improve the technological characteristics and test the preference of gluten free bread, destined principally for celiac population, an experimental design was carried out to define the levels of methylcellulose, transglutaminase and Spirulina in the formulation of rice flour bread. The experiment was conducted according to a 23 full factorial CCRD, using variables methylcellulose, transglutaminase and Spirulina. From the responses of technological quality of the brightness of the crumbs, specific volume and crumb firmness of bread three formulations of rice flour that were defined were evaluated technologically, chemically and sensorially by a preference test. Regarding crumb brightness, bread with higher content of Spirulina presented decreased brightness. The specific volume of the bread showed values in the range of 2.93 mL.g^-1 and 3.10 mL.g^-1 and crumb firmness between 316.25 g and 436.39 g. With an increasing concentration of Spirulina from 1% to 4%, there was a 20% increase in the protein content of rice flour bread. The sensory evaluation showed no difference in consumer preference between the loaves with 1% or 4% of Spirulina, from rice flour basis.