Buckwheat makes better gluten-free bread

Despite its name, buckwheat is not a member of the cereal and grass family. The plants bear triangular seeds with a gluten-free starchy endosperm that can be used to make buckwheat flour. Recent research has discovered that gluten-free bread formulations that include a high proportion of buckwheat flour could create high quality, antioxidant rich products for the gluten-free market.

Researchers in Poland used common buckwheat flour to substitute 10%, 20%, 30% and 40% of corn starch, the main component of a gluten-free bread formula, to make buckwheat-enhanced gluten-free breads. The finished products were subjected to a range of tests including antioxidant and reducing capacity and sensory characteristics.

Results showed the bread made using 40% buckwheat flour had the highest antioxidant and reducing capacity as well as having the highest overall sensory quality when compared to a control gluten-free bread. The researchers concluded that gluten-free breads containing 40% buckwheat flour could be developed specifically for consumers with coeliac disease.

Reference: Wronkowska et al. 2010. International Journal of Food Science and Technology. Doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2621.2010.02375.x