The Importance of Cereal Raw Materials in the Human Diet and Prospects for Bread and Pasta Production

Abstract

This study presents the technological prospects of using extruded barley flour in the production of layered bread with enhanced nutritional value. Barley grain is an important cereal crop because of its high content of β-glucan, dietary fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals. However, its direct application in bakery products is limited by the absence of a strong gluten network. Extrusion processing improves the technological functionality of barley flour by modifying starch and protein structures while preserving biologically active compounds. Composite flour mixtures containing wheat flour and extruded barley flour were evaluated to determine their suitability for layered bread production. The results demonstrated that replacing 25–35% of wheat flour with extruded barley flour increases the functional value of bread without significantly reducing dough quality. The developed technology expands the production of functional bakery products using locally available cereal resources.