Microbiological, chemical and sensory aspects of bread supplemented with different percentages of the culinary mushroom Pleurotus eryngii in powder form

Pleurotus eryngii (DC.) Quel. powder was used in bread production. Three dough trials (0, 5 and 10% of mushroom) were obtained with commercial baker's yeast. P. eryngii powder was first tested against several yeast species; 10% P. eryngii trial was characterised by the highest pH and total titratable acidity. P. eryngii did not influence negatively the fermentation process, since all trials reached yeast levels of 10(8) CFU g(-1). Mushroom powder decreased bread height and softness, increased crust redness and crumb void fraction and cell density and, although the breads were scored diverse, the overall assessment was comparable. The final breads provided higher concentrations of thiamin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid than control breads and, mostly importantly, supplied biotin, cobalamin and cholecalciferol generally absent in wheat bread. P. eryngii can be cultivated on food residues. Thus, its inclusion in functional bread production represents an optimal strategy for the valorisation of food processing by-products.