Effect of NaCl reduction on dough rheology and bread quality of fibre-enriched white wheat bread

Excessive dietary salt intake remains a leading preventable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality. Bread is recognised as a major contributor to population-level sodium consumption in Europe and globally. This study investigated whether substantial salt reduction in bread can be achieved without compromising dough rheology, gas retention, or final bread quality across diverse flour matrices. We evaluated four sodium chloride levels (1.2, 0.6, 0.3, and 0% w/w) in three wheat-based systems: refined white flour (control), fibre-enriched white flour, and wholemeal flour. Dough properties were characterised using GlutoPeak analysis (gluten network development) and Rheofermentometer testing (yeast fermentation kinetics). Bread quality was assessed through measurements of specific volume, crumb texture, cell structure, staling rate, and water activity. Across all flour types, 0.6% salt (w/w) emerged as a technologically optimal concentration, providing superior balance between dough functionality and bread quality while achieving a 50% reduction relative to conventional industrial formulations (1.2% w/w). This optimal salt level maintained acceptable technological performance while conferring a significant public health benefit through sodium reduction. Additionally, we successfully developed a fibre-enriched white wheat bread formulation combining 0.6% salt with enhanced dietary fibre content (9.3 g/100 g vs. 3.8 g/100 g in conventional bread), representing a synergistic dual-reformulation strategy addressing two major dietary insufficiencies simultaneously: excessive sodium and inadequate fibre intake. These findings demonstrate that substantial salt reduction in bread, a daily-consumed staple food, is both technologically feasible and nutritionally compelling, offering industry a clear pathway for population-level dietary improvement.